Heart of the Matter
by Amiyrasmom
Summary: And here is the widely anticipated sequel to Suturing a Heart. More fun with Mark, Mer and the rest. Lemme know what you think. Warnings for sex, language and so on. Also...AU but if you've read the first one then you know that already. Should really read that one before you try this one.
1. Dr and Dr Sloan

**_Discliamer: And here we go again. I know that this time I don't own Grey's…which sucks. Seriously. Because Shonda kills the wrong people. But at least I get to play with them now. And hopefully keep them from getting dead. Anyway…yeah, not mine._**

**_A/N: You know…I really don't think anyone's reading these author's notes. Cuz I only got a few people giving me ideas for what to name this sequel. So I'm gonna dedicate this one to two harts because that's where the idea came from and my daughter really liked it. _**

**_A/N2: I have no idea when Mark or Meredith's birthdays really are but I like the peridot for them so they're both born in August. I like the properties of the stone as its vibrations bring about an increase of good stuff. Personally, I think Mark and Meredith need all the help they can get on that score. Yes, they have a good solid relationship but every little bit of luck will help it stay that way. Sorry if this is wrong but hey, it's my story. And word of warning…this chapter is fluffy and sappy and basically a filler to start out with. The first episode will be the next chapter. I needed a bit of transition between last season's finale and this one's start._**

**_So…onto…_**

**Heart of the Matter**

**Dr. and Dr. Sloan**

"Hey, Dr. Sloan," the voice said huskily in the dim room. "Gotta get up. We have work." That voice had always given her shivers. It worked this time too but she ignored the shivers and kept her eyes closed. "Angel," he called to her again.

Giving a grumpy huff the lump on the bed moved a bit and then a hand found its way out of the tangle of blankets and smacked at the space where the voice had come from. "I'm shleepin'. Not gettin' up, dammit." The hand retreated and the cocoon of blankets that covered his wife curled tighter around her form. The sun wasn't even close to rising yet…and it was cold with the breeze off the bay. She was warm under the covers and it would be so much better if he'd just come back to bed.

"Angel," Mark chuffed out a laugh and stroked a hand over the light blue blankets where he thought her back was. He wasn't quite sure as she had a tendency to move after he'd left the bed. She'd huddle into the warm place where he had been and curl up into a ball. "We have to see the chief before he gives his speech to the new interns," he reminded her. "Papers to sign. Married papers. And…You get your own interns to torture today. It'll be fun…and I'll let you scrub in on my burned fire fighter. Come on," Mark wheedled in the Sex God voice. "Please? Besides…you get to show off your new lab coat and stuff." He wasn't sure if his wheedling would work of if he'd have to pull out the big guns this morning but he was willing to try and he still had a few ideas before he got desperate. Meredith was so not a morning person.

Meredith's head finally poked out from the beneath the light blue blankets that they had chosen together and she peered at him from one sleepy green eye. Her face creased in a smile that held just a hint of smugness. She was very happy with the way her vacation had turned out. "I do, don't I?" Her left hand appeared and she stared happily at the back of it and the small peridot set in a platinum band on her ring finger. Mark had chosen this ring because it was small and elegant and not flashy and it was their birthstone. "And my ring. I get to show that off too." She reminded him with a grin. She loved her ring.

Mark smiled smugly back and leaned down to lay a row of kisses across her jaw. He was utterly content with the way their vacation had gone too. "That too," he agreed easily. "But you can't if you stay in bed all day, Angel. So get your ass up and let's go be doctors." His lips left her jaw and he bounced himself out of the bed and to his feet again. He turned to the bed and held out his hand for her to take.

Meredith nodded, threw the covers to the side and took his hand in her own. "I can't wait," she claimed as he pulled her towards the bathroom for a shower and maybe something more…it was very early after all and they were newlyweds.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Alex and Cristina were waiting right by the doors for them. They were huddled close together and their shoulders were hunched as though their bodies had forgotten the chill in Seattle while they'd been away. Alex's new beard didn't cover the ruddiness of his cheeks and Cristina's tan didn't quite cover the paleness that being back had given them both. Neither of them was really looking forward to this first day back either, though for different reasons.

Still, they were both there, waiting at the doors for she and Mark. Of course they were, Meredith thought with a roll of her eyes. The both of them were complete and utter junkies, drama junkies but junkies all the same. They thrived on the drama that seemed to infect Seattle Grace. And they wouldn't miss the great revelation of Meredith's new status if someone offered them a million dollars. They might miss it for a good surgery though. Then again if someone offered her a good enough surgery she'd skip out on the revelation herself…maybe. Well, at least for a few hours.

She shook her head at her own thoughts and grinned at her two best friends. "You're both so tanned," she exclaimed in awe even as she threw herself at them for a quick hug before Cristina pushed her away with that look on her face. She loved unbalancing Cristina. Alex accepted the hug with an ease that hadn't been there before and she smiled happily at him before she stepped back and into the warm welcoming arms of her husband. "It looks even better now than it did three days ago." And it truly did. They both looked relaxed for the first time in a long time too though Meredith could see the tension beginning to creep back in and the sadness infecting Cristina again now that they were home.

Cristina grinned back at her and if it looked a little more forced than usual none of them were going to point it out, and Alex smirked at she and Mark, his hand unconsciously smoothing over Cristina's shoulder in comfort. The two had grown close while they were on holiday, nearly as close as Alex and Meredith had always been. "Well, you're both still pale as paper," he snickered. "Should have spent more time on the beach with us and less between the sheets."

Mark cuffed the back of his head, even as he wrapped his arm more securely around Meredith's shoulders. "Well, when you get married then we'll see how pale you are," he retorted. "And those sheets were very happy to have us and they will never be the same again." His icy blue eyes twinkled at his best friend. Alex grinned back and glanced at a movement behind them as a few of the nurses passed them to enter the hospital.

Meredith smacked Mark's arm in reproach even as she giggled in amusement. "Bad," she scolded him. "Seriously." Cristina rolled her eyes at them. They were both so smugly happy it was sickening.

Mark grinned down at her unrepentantly and stole a kiss from her smiling lips. He loved that he could do that right there in front of the doors to the hospital and no one could say anything about it. Not that they could have or would have before but now…well, the illicit thrill of doing something slightly naughty might be gone but now he knew he had the right to kiss her anywhere and the only person that could stop him was Meredith. As long as they didn't take it too far no one had any right to say anything about their actions. They were married. "Yes," he agreed with her assessment of his character. "Always. And you love it." He gloated happily.

"I love you," she corrected him with her own gloating smile. "Even when you're being an ass," she sighed as though greatly put upon.

He gave her his special, just for her, smile. "Love you too." He shook off the spell that she always wove around him and pulled her towards the door. "Now get to work you three," he ordered them in his best boss voice.

"You know," Cristina scowled, proving that particular voice didn't work on them anymore, not that it ever really had. He turned his attention to her for a moment. "We're not interns anymore; you can't boss us around like that." She shook a finger at him even as she followed them to the door. She liked that Mark was a friend and a boss. It made everything so much easier. And got her some good surgeries when she played her cards right…if only he was a heart surgeon instead of a plastic surgeon.

Mark arched an eyebrow at her and pulled open the door in an effort to hurry them along. Not that he actually thought it would work. They always did as they liked and to Hell with everyone else…mostly. "I'm still an attending and you are residents. I still get to boss you around," he reminded them with a smug grin.

"Mer," Cristina whined childishly though her brown eyes crinkled at the corners in suppressed laughter. "Tell your husband to be nice."

Meredith laughed aloud and shook her head in denial. "I'm his wife not his mother. If he hasn't learned manners and politeness by now there's no way I can teach him." She reached over once they were through the door and took Mark's hand in her own. It felt strange to be back and she liked the connection of flesh to flesh with him.

"You two really like those terms," Alex mused quietly and grinned at the girls. They both grinned and nodded. Meredith had a glow about her that eased something tight in his chest. He hadn't realized that he'd been worried about her until it had gone away. Mark would take care of her. He always had anyway.

"At least in reference to them," Cristina hooked a finger at Mark and Meredith. Her eyes darkened a bit and she seemed to blink something out of her eyes. "Not for me though." Her voice dropped a bit on the last part and a look filled with bone deep sorrow crossed her face. "Not for me. I'm not a wife."

Alex reached over and gave her shoulder a supportive squeeze as they stopped in front of the elevator. There was a softness to him that he only allowed a few select people to see. She glanced at him gratefully and he let go to push the call button for the elevator. "Hey, I offered and you turned me down flat." He told her with a comforting smile.

Cristina, suddenly her old self again like a mask thrown over her face to hide her pain from the world, shoved his shoulder, hard. "Okay, one: that hula girl had just blown you off for the guy with the crappy dreads and surfboard. Two: you were totally plastered. And three: ew!" She made a disgusted face at him.

"Good call," Alex agreed easily, not the least bit offended by either her words or the look she'd directed towards him. "Marriage to you would definitely be worth an ew or twelve."

Mark and Meredith held their breaths in concern that Alex's words would wound Cristina with the memory of Burke's abandonment, but Cristina only rolled her eyes and pushed past Alex and into the elevator. "Ass." She muttered the word at him as she leaned back against the rail.

Meredith pushed the button for a different floor from the one Alex and Cristina were headed to and shrugged when they gave her questioning looks. "We have to go see the chief and sign some papers." She explained.

"What kind of papers?" Cristina asked suspiciously. Webber and Meredith had worked out their differences for the most part but Cristina wasn't one to easily forgive or forget any slight to her person. No matter that Meredith didn't really care anymore about what Webber had done with her mother back in the day.

Meredith grinned and wiggled the fingers on her left hand. The green stone flashed in the light. "Married papers." She told them smugly and then slipped her hand back into Mark's grip.

"You're so happy you're making me sick. I think I'm going to throw up." Cristina groaned and shoved both of them out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. "Catwalk in twenty," she ordered with a mock scowl.

"Sure," Mark nodded their agreement and then tilted his head and a wicked look came over his face. "Think you could puke on Derek or something?" He asked with a smirk. The doors closed on Cristina's answering scowl. "What?" He exclaimed innocently when Meredith smacked his arm. "It'd be funny." He protested. "I think it would anyway. Can you imagine his face?"

"You're awful," Meredith accused, though her eyes told the lie of her words, and tugged him down the hallway.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Patricia, Dr. Webber's long time secretary, stood as soon as she saw them round the corner and held out her hand imperiously. "Lemme see," she ordered in a stern voice.

Meredith, knowing exactly what the woman wanted, obligingly held out her hand to the older woman with a smile. "Why doesn't anyone want to see mine?" Mark complained in his best pouting child voice. "I mean come on! Just cuz it doesn't have a pretty stone in it does that mean it doesn't mean anything?" He knew the answer but he liked to see his Angel smile.

"Girls like sparkly," Patricia told him with a grin and his Angle rolled her eyes though her lips twitched. "So…yeah, who cares about yours?" Patricia continued absently as she stared down at Meredith's ring and nodded. "Very pretty. Very tasteful. Is that a peridot?"

Meredith nodded happily, glad that someone else had finally recognized the stone for what it was. "It's our birthstone. He's seven years and one day older than me," she explained. "So it's…special." She wasn't sure how else to explain it. There weren't really any words that could describe what the ring meant to her.

Patricia let her hand go to grab a tissue and dab at her wet eyes. The look on little Meredith Grey's face as she stood there just got to her. Little Meredith Grey was all grown up and happy too. "Yes, it is," she nodded and kept back the sigh that the romantic part of her wanted to let go. "Very special. Congratulations." Her voice was sincere and her eyes shone with joy.

Mark smiled easily somehow aware of where Patricia's thoughts were leading her. "Thank you," he murmured and then cleared his throat. The soft look in Patricia's eyes was making him uncomfortable. His eyes darted to the door to Richard's office. "He in?" He asked and hoped Richard hadn't had an emergency or something that would have taken him from his office and delayed the meeting.

Patricia nodded and waved them towards the door as she blew her nose. "He's expecting you. Go right on in." She watched them go with a smile and then reached for the phone on her desk. Sally in accounting was a sucker for a good romance story. And she'd been placing bets on Mark and Meredith's wedding for months. Come to think of it so had Jan in Human Resources.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"I have one question," Webber said slowly and uncertainly as they finished signing the papers that would officially designate them to Human Resources as a married couple. He wasn't sure how they were going to take this question but he had to ask.

Meredith looked up with the bright happy smile that had graced her face for two weeks straight. She couldn't seem to get rid of it. And she didn't mind in the least. Webber wasn't exactly sure whether he wanted to ask his question. He didn't want that smile to leave her face…ever. "Ask," she said and gazed at him with light, happy green eyes.

"I'm not interfering and I'm not disapproving," he stumbled over the words and then sighed heavily. "It's…I really think it's a nice thing to do but…why the name change?" Webber tried not to cringe at Mark's sudden frown. He'd better continue before the younger man took it into his head to do something about that anger that was always simmering under his skin when he looked at Richard these days. "I'm really not," he continued in an effort to placate Mark's temper. "It's her choice and I know you well enough by now to know that you didn't push her into it, Mark. I'm only curious. That's all. I promise."

Meredith placed a hand on Mark's arm and shook her head at him. She had forgiven Richard for everything he'd done…mostly. There were still a few sore spots but they didn't seem so bad now. Just a little painful sometimes, like a healing bruise that you might bump in the wrong way at times. "It's okay." She told her husband softly and smiled at him. "I was expecting someone to ask." She drew in a breath. In a way she was glad that it had been Richard. Here she could explain it and she didn't have to worry about other people overhearing her. "I was never…happy as a Grey. I know my mother was…is a legend. And I should be proud to be her daughter and I am. I am proud of the things she did as a surgeon. But…I'm not her. I will do my own great things. I…" She shrugged helplessly and shook her head, unable to explain in words the things that seemed to be engraved on her heart.

"You want them to be your great things," Webber said understandingly with just a hint of wistfulness. He had thought he would do great things too…and then he'd just…settled. It had nothing to do with Adele or Ellis he just got…tired and didn't want to strive anymore. Looking at Meredith Grey, now Sloan, he knew that with her new husband at her side that she wasn't going to get tired, not anytime soon but she also wasn't going to be as driven as Ellis had been. Meredith Grey had grown up and she was going to take on the whole world. They were still gazing at him and he decided to finish the thought that he knew she couldn't put words to. "And not have people think 'Well of course, look who her mother is', right?"

Meredith nodded eagerly. "Besides it's not like it was her name originally either. And I…" She stumbled over the word and had to draw in another breath. Mark wrapped a hand over her shoulder as though sending her his strength. He needed her to say these things to someone nearly as much as she needed to let them out. "I don't want anything to connect me to him. I…just want to be me."

Webber nodded sadly. He felt his body sinking into his chair heavily. He wished so much that he could change things if only so that she would smile at him the way she had as a child. "I can understand that," he said though he wasn't sure that he really did. Then he seemed to draw into himself for a moment and looked at them both with regret. He regretted so many things in his life and he felt compelled to try and fix at least one thing if he could. "But…he's not a bad man. I don't condone what he did but…your father…I'm sure he didn't mean it." He knew the instant the words came from his mouth that they were the wrong ones.

Meredith shrugged and her eyes shuttered. The light that had seemed to come from deep inside dimmed. "I think he did," she said softly with an unhappy sigh. Then she straightened her back and those green eyes met his. "And we're not going to agree on this, Chief. However…if Derek had smacked Addie when she showed up here would you believe he didn't mean it?" It was the closest example she could think of.

Webber blinked, in shock at the thought. Derek was one of the least violent men he knew. _So was Thatcher, _a small voice whispered. _And Derek punched Mark that time, remember?_ Webber sighed heavily. "No…" he finally admitted to both himself and to them. "And I wouldn't have tried to make Addie see his side either. I just…I hate that you and Thatcher are so…distant." He knew that part of it was his fault and he hated that he'd ruined this woman's relationship with her own father because he was a greedy man.

Meredith, her forgiving heart aching at the self-loathing in Richard's eyes, stepped forward and placed her hand over his. "It's not your fault," she told him in an earnest voice. "You didn't make him the way he is. You and my mother hurt him but…he chose to do what he did and become what he has. It's not your fault. I wish I could blame you. It would be so much easier but I can't. You didn't do this. You didn't have anything to do with him hitting me." She believed that with her entire soul. Richard Webber wasn't blameless in the farce that was her childhood but he wasn't the villain of the piece. Her parents had made their choices and she wasn't the only person that had paid the price for them.

Webber turned his hand over and gripped her fingers with his own. How had that child, so scared and lonely, become the woman before him with her compassion and ready forgiveness? "Thank you," he told her in a choked voice. His brown eyes were wet but no tears fell from them. "Thank you, Meredith Sloan." He drew in a breath and shoved himself to his feet. "Now I have to go give a speech." He had to get away from the couple before he gave into the urgings of his heart. The ones that told him to gather Meredith in his arms and promise to keep her safe forever. That was Mark's job now and it had never been his, even when it had been offered before. Some days he mourned his choices more than others.

Mark grinned suddenly, wanting to lighten the somber mood that had fallen over them. "Have fun with that. I am so glad I didn't win the Chief race. I hate speeches." He helped Meredith to her feet.

Webber shook his head with a smile, his heart lighter. Meredith Sloan's heart and soul were in very good hands now. "And that would be another reason you didn't get it," he told the younger man and waved them from his office. Mark would protect her and tease her and treasure her better than any other man could. "Oh! Meredith," he called out as a thought struck him. The couple was just passing the threshold but paused at his call. She turned around and tilted her head at him questioningly. "O'Malley didn't get into Mercy West. He's here again. And he's yours." Yes, he'd maneuvered that but he didn't feel the least bit guilty. The others wouldn't be able to chivvy O'Malley along with the gentleness and firmness that Meredith would.

Meredith nodded not showing any surprise at all. "Good. Mercy West is crap anyway." Callie had said that she thought George had failed the test and Meredith had known that if he did actually fail he'd be hers. The others would torment him endlessly. Well, Cris and Alex would anyway. Izzie would just…coddle him.

Webber and Mark both laughed at her assessment of the other hospital.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"It's deliberate," Meredith said in a half-awed, half-horrified tone five minutes later and leaned into Mark's side. Her head shook almost of its own accord. She truly couldn't believe this complete non-reaction. "It has to be. There is no way they're that oblivious." They were supposed to be some of the most observant (and gossipy) people in the world and yet…no one seemed to have heard or cared.

Alex, standing beside her on the catwalk overlooking the lobby, snickered, tossed an arm over her shoulders, shoving Mark back a step in a joking manner and put his cheek on the top of her head. "I think they are," he disagreed with her easily and rubbed his cheek in her hair to mess it up a little. "Either that or…they really don't care." He grinned down at the floor below them. He was kind of glad that no one had noticed yet. Mark and Meredith would appreciate the breathing room they had now when everyone did eventually find out and start bombarding them with questions and opinions.

"We're going to go with the obliviousness," Mark put in and shoved Alex away from his wife. The two men shared a look that spoke of comradery and mocking. Meredith sighed at them both and moved over to shelter against Cristina's side. Alex just shook his head and put his hands against the railing his shoulder brushing Cris's. "Cuz if it's deliberate then they're trying to drive Angel nuts and that would just piss me off and if they don't care then that would really piss me off." He pulled Meredith around and put his arm over her shoulders again.

"They're stupid," Cristina piped up from between Mark and Alex. They're antics amused her but her heart still felt heavy and sad. She pushed the pain aside again and frowned down at the stupid people below them. "Seriously. They're all stupid. We've been in the hospital for nearly half an hour and none of them have even glanced our way." She couldn't believe this situation either. Had Seattle Grace completely forgotten about them and their drama over the past two weeks? How was that even possible?

"You fools got five minutes until you're supposed to be meeting with your new interns," a strident female voice informed them. "Why are we congregating up here?" She smirked to herself. She just loved making her kids jump the way they did.

Mark, Meredith, Alex and Cristina all whirled around to face the short woman in almost exactly the way she'd imagined they would. "Dr. Bailey," Mark smiled, his best innocent smile if she wasn't mistaken. The man was almost too good looking, not that something like that had ever affected her. "Good morning. You're looking well."

Bailey scowled at him. He was charming but she was immune to it. "Don't try that charm on me," she told him evenly. "Why are you even here? It's not even five o'clock and you haven't got anything scheduled until nine." She waved off anything he was going to say and stared hard at her three former interns. "Your chief resident is waiting on you three," she informed them. The confusion in their eyes made her instantly feel better. At least these three were as stunned as she had been. "Callie O'Malley was chosen for chief resident." She ignored the shock on their faces and held out a hand imperiously to Grey. "Lemme see it and then get to work." Meredith grinned happily and held out her left hand. Bailey whistled under her breath. It was a perfect fit for the girl. And it wasn't flashy. Sloan certainly knew his Angel. "Careful you don't blind anyone with that bling, Grey." She said anyway. "And I want pictures of the wedding, understand?" A part of her wished she could have been there but from what she heard she was staring at the entire wedding party and guests. A private wedding suited Meredith Grey, she decided and she hadn't felt insulted in the first place. Pictures of it would soothe any regrets she might have had about missing something so important.

"Of course," Meredith nodded. "Webber's an idiot," she claimed in staunch support of the doctor before her. "Don't get me wrong. I like Callie. She's just…not going to be very good at being chief resident." She wasn't sure how to say it without sounding like an idiot. But it didn't really matter how she said it, she knew Bailey would understand the feelings behind the awkward words.

Bailey speared her with a hard look, as much as she appreciated the words and the feelings behind them she couldn't let any of them disrespect the position that should have been hers. "No matter anyone's personal feelings she is chief resident and you will do your best for her or I'll know the reason why." She turned to the other two former interns and pierced them with the same look. "And that goes for the two of you as well. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am," they both nodded with alacrity. She loved the affect she had on these children. It made her feel much better about losing out on chief resident. At least these three still feared and respected her.

"Good," she nodded back, pleased with their easy acceptance. "Get to work then," she ordered them.

They scrambled away as though she'd threatened them. "That's why you're the Nazi, Bailey." The deep voice had her turning back to the remaining doctor on the catwalk. "They're still scared of you," Mark laughed and shook his head as he watched the three race away to do as she'd ordered them.

Bailey snorted at him in amusement. "And don't you forget it. Go do your job, Sloan," she shooed him off too and grinned behind his back as he scurried away as quickly as her former suck-ups had. Seemed not only the interns feared and respected her. But then she knew that particular doctor had been programmed to respect her before he'd ever arrived. She was sure that Meredith had indoctrinated him from across the country. "It's good to be the Nazi," she murmured to herself and then turned away from the catwalk to start a new day of work and a new year of interns. With any luck these ones wouldn't be nearly as troublesome.


	2. A Change is Gonna Come

**A Change is Gonna Come**

**_A/N: Okay I can't find the names of the interns. I'm sure I'll figure them out as we go along but for now I'm just gonna use Cristina's method on the ones I don't know and give them numbers. I know Lexie and George but that's about it. I know there's a Megan Mostow with Meredith but I'm not sure which is which. I'm sure I'll figure it out but it might not be for a few chapters. Bear with me and we'll get them all named. Incidentally if you know…tell me please! Enjoy!_**

**_A/N 2: I've written this chapter three freaking times and I still hate it. Let me know what you think._**

Meredith folded her hands in front of her calmly, though she felt anything but calm. Ignoring her internal jitters, she stared down the hallway towards the intern locker room and frowned. Alex and Cristina were updating charts against the counter, attempting to look like the busy doctors they were supposed to be, instead of the anxiously waiting soon to be nearly parents/mentors that they actually were. Izzie was dancing from one foot to the other impatiently, unable to stay still in her excitement and nervousness.

Meredith sighed and stiffened her resolve to be, or at least appear, calm and unflappable. She was not going to act nervous or uncaring. She was a doctor. Her interns were going to be doctors. Sure they already had a medical degree but they weren't there yet. They had never practiced what they'd learned. And it was her job to teach them.

Movement caught her eye and she turned her head just a little. Mark and Derek were slouched against the wall watching her. Well, them probably. She frowned at them but they both just grinned back. Derek lifted his left hand and pointed to his ring finger. Then he grinned and gave her a thumb's up even though his eyes held a trace of sadness. Even though he and Mark had gone out the day before Meredith hadn't seen Derek since the aborted wedding. Mark had said he'd invited Derek to Hawaii as a peace gesture but Derek had refused as he hadn't wanted to make anyone uncomfortable. Mark and Derek had patched up much of their broken friendship but they all knew it would never be what it had been.

Meredith shook herself from her musing and shrugged at Derek with a sappy grin. "You should have come," she mouthed to him.

Derek shrugged and then gave her a horrified look and pantomimed stabbing himself in the heart. He said something and Mark laughed loudly.

She rolled her eyes turned her head back to the hallway, lifted her left hand and gave him the finger. She heard Mark's chuckle sound again and felt her own lips curve in response. Impatiently, she glanced down and checked the time. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. They were all late as of ten seconds ago. Good. Something to chew them out for on the first day…on second thought…

As though her thoughts had called to them forms suddenly filled the hallway and streamed towards the main nurse's desk. Meredith gave them all a dark look and George ambled to stand in front of her. Two women and one man quickly followed him. Meredith took a breath and made a show of checking her watch and frowning. They were going to learn if it killed them.

"Good morning," She greeted them with a touch of icy disdain as she allowed her arms to fall to her sides. She hoped her eyes and face conveyed the utter sincerity of her words. "You've used your freebie. Tardiness is not tolerated. That said…I'm Dr. Sloan…Dr. Meredith Sloan. I have five rules. Memorize them." She was not going to give them time to protest. She sighed mentally as they took out notebooks eagerly. "Rule one. Don't bother sucking up. I already hate you. That won't change." She knew it would but they didn't need to know that and George already knew not to share what he'd already learned. She stepped away from the counter and waved a hand at the items arrayed across it. "Trauma protocols, phone lists and pagers," she pointed each item out as she named it. "Rule two: you answer every page at a run. Seriously. A run." She strode down a hallway and away from Derek and Mark and their interested looks. She didn't pause and soon heard four sets of footsteps rushing after her. Good they were learning.

"Rule three: don't complain," she turned down another hallway and wondered if they were lost yet, she certainly had been. "I don't care if you're tired. I don't care if you haven't had a chance to eat. I don't care if your dog died. You don't complain." She knew they would, at first anyway. But they'd learn soon enough that everyone was pretty much deaf to any intern complaints. "First shift starts now and last thirty-six hours," _lucky bastards_, she added to herself. Her first shift had been forty-eight and so had quite a few of the following ones. She'd survived, hadn't she? "I could tell you that you're the grunts, the nobodies but I expect you to already know that you'll get all the crap jobs. It's why you're interns. You have to earn O.R. time and I decide when and if you do. Not you. Me. So…don't whine about it." And until they proved themselves to be more than suck-up know nothings they weren't getting anywhere near an O.R. on her watch.

She shoved open an on-call room and flipped on the light. She didn't show any hesitation in doing so even though she really hoped there was no one trying to sleep or do other things in this room but everyone knew it was the first shift for the interns so…still she sighed in relief to find it empty. "Rule four: sleep where you can, when you can and if I'm sleeping then don't wake me up unless your patient is actually dying. If the patient dies before I get there then you have a serious problem. Not only will you have killed someone but you would have woken me for no good reason. And my husband hates that." She nearly slapped herself but resisted. She was a newlywed. She could drop that fact whenever she wanted. It was her right or whatever. And she was going to enjoy the newness of it.

"You and Mark got married?" George squeaked as her introduction finally sank in. Then he flushed as he realized he'd given away the fact that he knew Meredith to the other interns. "Er…um…when?" He pressed on already knowing the other interns were going to figure out a little bit. He just hoped Alex and Cristina kept their mouths shut about his repeating the intern year. He knew they'd let it slip eventually but for now he'd enjoy the anonymity.

"You know each other?" The other male intern asked suspiciously as he stared from one to the other with his eyes shooting hostile sparks at George as though he was going to get special treatment for knowing Meredith.

George flushed even more in something like embarrassment and shrugged uncomfortably. "His wife is our chief resident," Meredith finally answered for him. She knew that wasn't going to help George with the hostility but she couldn't think of anything that would alleviate the jealousy she saw growing within the others. He'd just have to tough it out and she knew he'd come out on top in the end anyway. "So yes…a bit," she continued and refused to give them any more information on George. Instead she answered George's question. "And it's been…just over two weeks." She grinned happily at the memory of her wedding and honeymoon.

"Congratulations," all four of them chimed and George grinned happily.

"Though I think it's supposed to be best wishes to the bride…I can't remember." George said thoughtfully before shaking his head. "Um…you said five rules, Dr. Sloan," he brought them all back to task. "That was only four." He looked startled for a moment as he remembered that Meredith had said the exact same thing almost to the minute a year ago.

Meredith smirked as the same memory came to her mind. She opened her mouth to tell them the last rule and her pager went off on cue. She checked the text already guessing what it would say and shook her head with an internal laugh. It was always good to have friends on the nursing staff. "Rule five: I move, you move, let's go. We're in the E.R. today and I'm sure there's lots to do there." She clipped her pager back to her waistband and headed for the door past her interns. Three of which were staring at her as though she was magic or psychic.

Seeing that she wasn't going to wait for them they hastily followed her out of the on-call room and headed to the E.R. "You got lucky," George whispered to her as he jogged to catch up with her quite strides. "Or Mark paged you."

Meredith gave him a smug smile and contemplated keeping her secret but then shrugged. It didn't really matter anyway. "Tyler actually," she told him easily in a soft voice. "I bought him a coffee and he agreed to page me."

"Devious," George whispered with an awed expression. "Very devious. Bet none of the others thought of that."

"I'm more than just a pretty face," Meredith said softly and then headed for the stairs knowing they'd be faster than the elevator at this time of day. "Hurry up," she barked at the interns as they had to wheel around to catch up. "I did say that you had to answer all pages at a run."

They huffed but remembered rule number three and didn't complain at her fast pace. Though they all towered over her they all seemed to have a difficult time catching her. They'd learn though. If they expected to make it through the year, they'd learn fast.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith collapsed beside her friends on one of the spare beds in the basement. She was already tired and she hated her whiny, know nothing interns. She'd sent her them all off to run labs and update charts and all the other grunt work she could think of. However she'd left George in the E.R. with instructions to page her if she was needed, he'd know what to do until then. Mark's surgery wasn't until later and so she was taking the opportunity for a break. Two weeks of nothing but sex, sleeping and eating had lowered her tolerance for these long stretches of work. She knew it wouldn't take long to build it back up though. "Derek's looking for you," Meredith told Cristina airily and stole her cup of coffee from her hands as she was raising it to her lips. "Thanks."

Cristina rolled her eyes and took the cup back from Meredith after the other woman had taken a large swallow. "Why is Shepherd looking for me?" She asked and then brushed the question away in favor of more important matters. "And have you seen Burke yet? They haven't." She waved a careless hand at Izzie and Alex.

Meredith shrugged, "I have no idea why Derek wants you. He won't tell me and I did ask him." She closed her eyes and tried to recall the blur of faces from her day so far. "Nope," she finally said. "Haven't seen him."

"You married him," Izzie said in an accusing tone. From her tone she'd been stewing over this for some time and had finally decided to get it off of her chest. "And you didn't tell me, you didn't invite me, you didn't call me, nothing." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Meredith and Cristina both. She knew as well as anyone else that Cristina and Meredith were practically joined at the hip. They should have told her about the wedding. She would have helped.

Meredith sighed in exasperation and shrugged a bit before she leaned her shoulder against Cristina's. She did not want to have this conversation with Izzie. Truly it wasn't any of Izzie's business and from the way she'd been acting before they'd left Meredith had been under the impression that Izzie wouldn't have cared anyway. "I didn't invite anyone," she stalled, even if it was the complete truth.

"She really didn't," Alex defended her quickly. He didn't want to listen to Izzie screech and bemoan her choice in friends any more than Cris and Mer did. "Mark, Cris and I planned the whole thing and then sprung it on her in Hawaii." He explained in an effort to stem the tide of recriminations that he knew were about to fall on them.

"You should have told me," Izzie leaned around Cristina to glare at Meredith. She didn't believe for an instant that Meredith hadn't planned her own wedding. Meredith had simply left her out because of some petty need to suck up to Mark Sloan. That man was going to be the ruin of Meredith. Men were scum…except for Denny and George. "I would have come. I would have helped. But you didn't even ask." She continued to berate the other woman and glared at her out of blue eyes that snapped with fire.

Cristina pushed her back with a hard hand to her chest. "I did ask." She rebutted the accusation. "You said you didn't want to come to Hawaii with me and Mer. It's not our fault you stayed here." She shouldered Izzie back a bit more to break the glare she was still aiming at Cristina's person.

"That's not the point! And I didn't know that Mark and Meredith were getting married so it's not my fault either!" Izzie burst out. She was so angry with them for leaving her out. They were supposed to be friends and Meredith had gone and gotten married to that jackass without even giving her a head's up. It was so unfair.

"Neither did I," Meredith exploded finally. She had had just about enough of this. Her marriage and her wedding were not something that was up for debate among all and sundry. Izzie was just being her usual bitchy self.

"You didn't even tell me you were engaged," Izzie pouted at her with a deep look of sorrow in her eyes. Why were they all getting engaged and married while she was stuck? And why wasn't George calling her back?

"I was engaged for all of fifteen seconds," Meredith told her hotly, utterly sick of Izzie's jealousy. "He asked me on the beach at dawn and the judge was standing right there. I said yes and then I said I do." That should at least shut her up for a moment.

Izzie gave a small laugh that carried hurt and sardonic amusement. "Was he afraid you'd back out or something?" Maybe he should have been, Izzie thought, no one stays faithful. Then again he's the one that slept with his best friend's wife.

"What is your damage?" Cristina asked her in a cutting tone, her brown eyes shooting sparks at the blond. "Normally you'd be all sighing about how romantic it was and stuff."

Izzie pulled her legs up to her chest and shook her head. "I don't know," she mumbled, she did know but didn't want to admit out loud exactly how envious she was. Or how worried. Mark wasn't the type to stay with one woman and they all knew it. He was going to break Meredith's heart.

"Meredith!" George called as he rounded the corner in a great hurry. "I need to talk to you. Alone. Now." He was nearly panting in his haste and his eyes pleaded with her for something she couldn't identify.

"Hi George," Izzie said in a suddenly bright tone though her eyes were still filled with sorrow. "How have you been? How was your vacation? I didn't do anything. Meredith got married. Did you know that Alex, Cris and Mark were planning a wedding?" She spoke in a rush as though George was going to disappear before she had a chance to talk to him.

"Meredith," George said insistently, ignoring Izzie completely in a way he never had before. "It's important. It's about—"

"Get out!" Cristina growled suddenly and leaned forward to glare at the corner where her interns were shuffling around nervously. "Residents only. No interns allowed."

George sent her a hurt look, thinking she meant him, and then saw Cristina's interns lurking around the corner. Still…he was an intern and Cristina wasn't exactly the most friendly person in the world.

"Go away," Alex told them with a fierce look of his own. "Now. This is our spot." He'd always believed that respect and fear went hand in hand and he was going to teach his interns and everyone else's to fear him as much as they would come to respect him.

The other interns fled and George moved to follow them, everything he come to tell Meredith flying from his head. "George," Izzie called after him in pleading tones. "They didn't mean you."

"I'm an intern," George returned sadly and stalked off after the others. He was not going to mope and he wasn't going to let them pity him either. But he wasn't going to act like the test had never happened. He had failed and now he needed to deal with the consequences.

Izzie smacked Alex and scowled. "He's our friend," she scolded them all.

"Bambi is your friend, Barbie," Alex replied with an indifferent tone. "Bambi and I have never claimed to be more than coworkers and you know it."

"But…" Izzie shot Alex an injured look and then shook her head with a sigh. Alex and George were not and never would be friends and she did know that. Still, that didn't give him the right to treat George badly. "Why can't we be nice to George?"

Alex snorted. "You can be nice to him if you want just don't expect the rest of us to," He pushed himself off the bed and tugged at Mer's hair on the way past. "I'd better check up on my peons. Who knows what trouble they've gotten into?"

"He doesn't want to be treated differently than the others," Meredith said calmly to Izzie. "He just wants to…be George and we're gonna let him. He's an intern and we need to treat him that way." While she'd been speaking she poked Alex in the ribs for pulling her hair and scowled at him.

"But he's George," Izzie protested already knowing her objection would fall on deaf ears.

Meredith stood up and stretched. "He's an intern," she said again forcefully. "Now I'm going to go find my husband and see if he wants to eat something with me." She spun around and followed the path the interns had taken, pushing Alex in the shoulder on her way past.

"You're gonna wear that word out," Alex called after her. He stood for a moment and then raced after her. He really did need to check on his interns.

"Never," she called back over her shoulder with a laugh and then squeaked as Alex caught up to her unexpectedly and threw an arm across her shoulders.

Izzie watched them suspiciously and turned to Cristina as Alex leaned down and whispered something in Meredith's ear that made her laugh. "Is there something going on between them?" She asked as the pair disappeared around a corner. "They seem awfully comfortable with each other."

"Seriously?" Cristina scoffed and pushed herself up off the bed. She stalked away a few steps and then turned back to Izzie with an annoyed look. "Maybe you're just projecting, Barbie," she said evenly and then strolled away without another look back at the stunned blonde.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Wanna go have a drink after work?" Derek asked Mark quietly and leaned on the wall beside his friend.

"Everyone else turn you down?" Mark smirked and dried off his hands. Derek rolled his eyes and shrugged. Mark pursed his lips in an effort to make Derek sweat even knowing it wouldn't work. Derek wasn't desperate for company no matter how Mark teased him. "Sure," he finally relented when his teasing bore no fruit. "Angel's on call otherwise as a newly married man I'd have to say no." It still gave him a warm feeling in his chest whenever he heard himself referred to in that way even when he was the one doing it.

Derek shook his head and smirked back at him. "You should try that old ball and chain crap on someone who doesn't know you. That shit eating grin ruins the effect. Besides you know she'd send you off or come with you anyway. Mer's not one of those wives." He envied his friend but not in a bad way anymore. Meredith was good for Mark and neither of them had ever looked more peaceful and happy. He just wished he hadn't made things so difficult in the beginning…for all of them.

Mark shook his head in agreement. Meredith was not the kind of wife to get jealous or angry over 'boy's time'. In fact, Mark suspected she enjoyed the times when he would run off with Derek or Alex and leave her at home to…well, do whatever it was she did on those nights. Probably gossip with Cris or drink with Callie or something similar. He shook off the thoughts and glanced over at his brother. "And she wants us to be friends again."

Derek's features softened with his smile even as his eyes became a little sad. "I thought we were or at least close to it." He had thought they were repairing their friendship at a good pace but he had been very…obstructive and destructive back when Mark first came to Seattle.

Mark's grin grew and his icy blue eyes warmed with affection for the man that had been his brother for as long as he could remember. "We are," he confirmed and reached over to squeeze Derek's shoulder. "Which is why we're going out for drinks tonight. Think New Bar Girl will be there?" He couldn't resist the teasing.

Derek sighed, groaned and stalked away. "Traumas coming in," he informed Mark instead of replying to the question. He knew it was useless. Mark and Meredith were going to be teasing him about the girl at the bar until they could find something else to tease him about. That was what family did after all. Teased you relentlessly but stood with you against all comers. Besides it was kind of nice that Mark felt he could tease him again. It meant the other man had forgiven him for being such an ass.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Was I not clear?" Meredith scolded three of her interns as she rushed into the E.R. "You answer every page. EVERY. PAGE. At a run. A run." She sent them a furious glare even as she continued to dodge the nurses, orderlies and doctors in her path. She didn't even need to look around to do so and the interns stared in shock at her seeming psychic agility. "You don't dawdle and finish off your drink or your food or whatever. You run." She finally paused for breath and turned her head to try and find Callie to find out what was going on.

George saw the shame and resentment on the faces of the other interns and shrugged to himself. They'd get it eventually. He could remember despising Bailey for at least the first month of his first internship. And so far Meredith was nicer than Bailey had been. At least they'd gotten something of a break but then there was no epileptic teenager this time either. And Meredith wasn't calling them names or yelling as some of the residents then and now did. She was merely giving them disappointed looks and frowning.

"Where have you been?" Callie asked them in exasperation as Alex and his interns flew through the door. She gave all of the new residents a glare. "We have multiple M.V.C.s due any second." She crossed her arms over her chest and continued to scowl.

"We're here now, aren't we?" Alex responded in his cocky voice. Meredith and Callie both rolled their eyes. Sometimes Alex was such a child.

"Whatever," Callie sighed. She had wanted to be the Chief Resident since she'd been an intern and now that she had the position she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to do. There was a lot more work involved in the job than she'd thought there would be. Still…she had a job to do. "Just…do what you're supposed to do and monitor your interns." She told them and hoped they'd know what to do.

Cristina shone up like it was Christmas. "One and Two: go get stat packs. Three and Four: go meet the ambulances," Cristina instructed her interns in strident tones. "What?" She asked defensively as she turned around and was greeted by Meredith's sardonic grin.

"One and Two?" Meredith laughed with a wry shake of her head at her person's attitude. "I think they do have names, Cris."

"I can't remember their names," Cristina told her with a scowl and watched as her interns scurried to follow her orders. "Bet you can't remember yours either," she taunted.

"Sure I can," Meredith protested heatedly thought her eyes gave away her uncertainty. Finally she shrugged and glanced at her interns. "Larry, Moe, Curly and George."

"I'm Larry," George said with a snicker. He couldn't remember the other intern's names either and he doubted they knew his. Or maybe they did. He was after all their new nemesis or whatever they wanted to call the favorite intern. And he was obviously the favorite even though they hadn't even finished the first half of their first shift.

Meredith shook her head with a smile and then put back on her teaching face. "George…go meet the ambulances. The rest of you follow me." She turned to head for the supplies they'd need.

She showed the others where to find the paper coverings for their scrubs and then led them from the E.R. and out to the ambulance bay. She took a moment and a deep breath. She still hated coming out here. She would always see Mark's lifeless body here. Even though he wasn't dead and had been almost fine at the time, there had been that one second when he wasn't moving and he was crumpled up against the wall and she'd thought she'd lost him. That one second when it seemed as though her entire world had crumpled around her and left her lost and bereft.

"Grey!" Bailey said sharply as she saw Meredith's eyes cloud over. Meredith shook off the memory and turned her attention to Bailey. Bailey gave her a long look, she knew what Meredith had been remembering. See Meredith's eyes clear she knew Meredith had returned to the present and nodded towards the three interns standing just behind her. "I mean, Sloan…don't just let them stand there."

Meredith didn't see the dark-haired intern that Cristina had designated as Four start and stare at her in something between awe and apprehension. "Yes Dr. Bailey," she said and turned to her own interns. They were staring at her as well and she nearly sighed. Had she and the others been that clueless? She seriously doubted it. "Let's go people." She motioned them forward and to the incoming traumas. God, she loved this job.

She felt eyes on her back and she turned her head for a moment. Shocked and confused brown eyes met hers for just an instant and she felt a shiver of recognition. Those brown eyes reminded her of someone else but she couldn't remember who. She shook it off. She didn't have time to contemplate a mystery at the moment. She had work to do.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Did he say arm?" Miss Walters asked in a dazed tone from her position on the gurney. Her belly shook and seemed to writhe of its own accord. The baby inside very unhappy with its present circumstances and its mother's fear making it even more agitated. "My arm is gone?" Her voice wavered with shock and terror.

Bailey leaned over the gurney so that the woman could see her face clearly. "Miss Walters," she soothed in a calm voice. "You're gonna be okay." She promised and then straightened up and motioned to Meredith. "Grey, check the wound." Her voice didn't change from its calm and soothing tones but her eyes impressed on Meredith the need to be and quick and thorough as possible.

Meredith, responding to the words as much as the look, quickly checked on the wound and gave Bailey a look of mixed pity and knowledge. It was bad but not unfixable…if they could get the arm back in time. "It looks like a clean cut," she murmured to Bailey over the woman's moaning. "If we can find it we might be able to reattach it." She knew Mark would give it all he had but they needed the arm first.

"Get somebody to page your husband and get him down here," Bailey ordered with a nod of acknowledgement of Meredith's words. She hadn't truly needed them though. She'd known as soon as she'd seen the state of Miss Walters arm that Mark's expertise was going to be needed today. "If anyone can reattach it, it'll be him." She had complete confidence in Mark's abilities as a doctor. There really wasn't anyone better than Sloan.

Meredith let out a soft snicker as the memories faded completely and Bailey's words truly penetrated her brain. "How can you remember that we're married but you keep calling me 'Grey'?" She'd known it would be difficult for the other doctors and staff of the hospital to remember her new name but she'd thought Bailey wouldn't slip as much as everyone was likely too.

Bailey rolled her eyes at the woman and shooed Meredith towards the doors. "Arm, Grey," she said with extra emphasis. "You'll always be Meredith Grey, my intern, to me." She had called her Grey on purpose and would continue to do so. She was ecstatic for Meredith and Mark but she wasn't about to show that. Someone around here had to keep a cool head.

Meredith gave her a bright smile, nodded and helped guide the gurney to the doors. She understood everything Bailey wouldn't or couldn't say with that one sentence. Bailey had always been one of the strongest supporters of her relationship with Mark and that would never change.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Get out of the way!" Meredith yelled at the intern standing in front of the trauma bay doors. The brown haired girl was blocking the doors they needed to get through and staring at her in confusion and surprise. Realizing she was in the way the girl stepped to the side but moved back in front of Meredith as she tried to follow the gurney into the E.R.

Meredith stopped moving and glared at the girl in her way. She didn't have time to direct idiot interns in what they were supposed to be doing, especially when they weren't her own. Glaring furiously at the girl, she felt that shiver of recognition again. She knew this girl but she couldn't remember from where. It was going to bug her until she figured it out. The girl reached out and clutched at her arm. "Are you Meredith Grey?" She asked eagerly, her brown eyes wary and excited.

"I was," Meredith confirmed in a cold tone. She didn't have time for one of her mother's fans. She had a job to do and her mother was dead. "Move," she ordered harshly.

"I…I…" the girl swallowed hard and flinched a bit at her tone but didn't let go of her arm. "I'm Lexie." She said this in a tone that said Meredith should know who she was and why she was detaining her.

Meredith frowned for an instant as the name rang a bell in her mind but she brushed it aside, maybe she'd treated a family member or something. It didn't really matter why the girl wanted to talk to her, she didn't have time and the girl should have been able to see that. She lifted her hand and gently but firmly pried her arm from the girl's grip. "Great. Move. Injured people here." She knew she was being more abrupt than was necessary but if the girl was going to work here then she needed to learn about appropriate times for conversations.

The girl seemed to gather herself together and drew in a deep breath. "Lexie Grey. I'm…I'm your sister." She stuttered it out and her brown eyes filled with anxiety as she seemed to plead with Meredith for something Meredith couldn't identify.

Meredith froze and stared at her for a long second trying to grasp what the girl had said. "Crap," she finally muttered in annoyance. "I forgot." She shook her head. She'd deal with this curve ball later…when she could process it without remembering Susan or what Thatcher had done. "We don't have time right now. I have to go." She pushed past Lexie and hurried into the trauma room where Bailey had taken Miss Walters. She ignored the aborted call from her sister and simply straightened her back and got on with her job. She didn't know what to think or what to feel. Her sister. Crap.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith glanced out the window of the trauma room and nearly sighed as she spotted Lexie watching her again. She'd been doing it all morning. "Did you know?" She murmured to George in an almost plaintive tone.

George glanced up from the notes he was reviewing, his eyes far off as he processed what he'd read. "Know what?" He asked confused and attempted to shake off the fog of treatment protocol to concentrate on whatever had put that tone in Meredith's voice.

"That she's my sister?" Meredith motioned with her chin and watched over his shoulder while he inputted the stats on Miss Walters into the computer with practiced efficiency. "That one my father's other daughters was here? The one that's absolutely perfect? Lexie?"

George swallowed and his eyes shifted guiltily away. He could hear the bitter hurt in Meredith's voice as well as the longing he knew she wouldn't care to recognize as what it was. He should have told her. But…he just didn't. He'd wanted to but he couldn't tell her with the others around and then he'd been a bit hurt by Alex's reaction and Cristina's words to the other interns. "Yes," he eventually murmured. "I tried to tell you and then…I just…didn't. I've had…so much going on and…I just didn't." He wasn't going to tell her the true reason. He was ashamed he'd done what lots of other people did and dumped other people's careless actions or words on Meredith's head.

Meredith nodded and kept her eyes on the ultrasound in front of her. She didn't want anyone to notice the tears filling her eyes. She'd been so happy only hours ago. She and Mark had had a wonderful vacation and she had been so happy to be back and be able to tell her friends everything and now…"Okay." She shoved the bitterness that she felt down. She had no right and no cause to feel bitter about Lexie. But a part of her couldn't stop herself from disliking both Molly and Lexie because they'd had what she'd always wanted. Molly had called her a few times while she was in Hawaii but she'd ignored every call. She didn't want to deal with her no matter how nice Molly was. She brought about to many bad memories.

Izzie came in and Meredith answered her robotically, scrambling desperately to put her doctor's face on. Izzie prattled on, unaware of Meredith's struggle. Meredith finally managed to contain her roiling emotions and rolled her eyes at the blonde when she practically begged to be let in on the case and shooed her away with a few words. She was already feeling claustrophobic in the small room and she didn't need Izzie horning in on the case. Not that Izzie went far. Meredith glared at her for an instant and then turned as the door opened.

"What have you got?" Mark asked as he opened the door and took some gloves from the nurse without actually looking at anyone in the room.

"Nancy Walters," Meredith answered promptly and immediately felt better. Mark always had that effect on her even when he didn't realize he was near her. The bitterness and hurt and confusion were a distant memory. She had Mark and Cris and Alex and George and Izzie and the rest. What did she care about a happy childhood when her own had led her here and to these people? The people that made up her family. "Complete amputation," she continued to give him the pertinent information.

"The baby looks good," George chimed in when she'd finished. "But she's having some contractions." He conveyed his worry for the baby with a glance to Meredith and the tone of his voice.

Mark looked over in surprise at his wife and grinned happily. "Hey," Meredith grinned back and then turned her attention to the ultrasound again. Mark stepped to the side of the gurney where the patient could see him and he could have a look at the wound. He smiled at Miss Walters with his comforting doctor smile. "Hi, Nancy, I'm Dr. Sloan—" Her gaze immediately cut to Meredith and confusion showed in her eyes. Mark's grin grew. This was going to be fun for a very long time. His wife. He loved that word nearly as much as he loved the woman that bore the title. "The other Dr. Sloan. She's the pretty one. Mind if I take a look?" He asked her and motioned to her missing arm. It was a mere formality but asking always made the patients more comfortable.

Izzie stepped up right beside him and stared at the wound when he pulled the dressings back. She wasn't going to be left out and she wasn't going to let Meredith send her away before she had a chance to do something. Her interns were bored and so was she. But no one would give them something to do and there were no cases left. If she pretended to be more knowledgeable than she was she might be able to steal a case from one of the others. "It's a clean cut," she murmured lowly.

"You wanna rub up against me you have to buy me a drink first," Mark said quietly even as he studied the wound. "Or get permission from my wife," he added thoughtfully. Izzie scowled at him and stepped away. She'd forgotten exactly who she was trying to swipe a case from. There was no way Mark would ever give over one of Mer's cases to someone else. He'd want to keep her to himself. "Hang antibiotics and put on a sterile, moist dressing," he instructed Meredith. "There's a chance at a good recovery here," she passed over the dressing she'd been holding and grinned at him. "You psychic now, Angel?" He asked as he took it from her with a grin. She always seemed to just know what he'd need.

Meredith shook her head with a smile of her own. "Just know you," she replied easily. "And I figured you'd want to at least try." She'd known he would. Mark was an exceptional doctor and he'd do anything he could for his patients.

He nodded and applied the dressing. "Do we have an arm?" He'd need the arm and hoped it wasn't too damaged. Miss Walters was obviously very pregnant and though the surgery would be risky he was sure she'd very much like to hold her child with both arms.

"They're looking for it," she informed him with a shrug. "I'll let you know as soon as it's recovered." Her eyes returned to Miss Walters face and she smiled reassuringly. "You'll be fine and so will your baby," she promised the scared looking woman.

"My baby has no father," Miss Walters said shakily. "He's already down two arms. So h-he really needs me to have an arm." She pleaded with them to make it all better with her tone and her expression as she stared up at these two doctors who seemed so calm and comforting.

Mark inhaled sharply and looked up at his wife. "Get me that arm," he ordered her in a tone that brooked no failure.

Meredith nodded back with determination. She would find that arm if she had to go to the crash site and look for it herself.

Mark moved to leave the room and then turned back. He rounded the table and laid a light kiss on her lips. "I'm going out for drinks with Derek after work, okay?" He smiled softly at her and ignored everyone else in the room. This was more important than whatever they were doing.

Meredith nodded again and rose up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Should I be jealous?" She teased him. "Haircuts yesterday and drinks tonight." She pouted at him teasingly.

"You've never been jealous before why change things now?" He smirked knowing she was teasing him and was actually happy that he and Derek were getting closer again. He let go of her and headed for the door.

"Well…I still want details," she called after him. "If my brand new husband is going to be abandoning me for his brother two days in a row I'd better be getting some damn details," she muttered just loud enough for him to hear. He laughed lightly as the door closed behind him.

The nurses and interns laughed at their byplay and even Miss Walters smiled faintly. Izzie scowled behind Meredith's back and glared at the door Mark had disappeared through. Why was she the only one that seemed to see how bad Mark was for Meredith? He was already cheating on her. "Drinks with Derek, my ass," she muttered under her breath.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith nearly jumped a foot when a male hand landed on the counter beside her. She placed her free hand over her heart and scowled at the man beside her for a moment without really seeing him. She'd been so intent on speaking to the police at the accident scene that she'd tuned everything else out. "Yes, Dr. Meredith Sloan," she told the man on the other end of the phone. "As soon as you can. Thanks." She hung up the phone and turned her attention to Derek, she slapped his arm with the back of her hand. "You scared the crap out of me," she accused. "And whatever happened to saying 'hi'? Or is freaking people out the new way of greeting them?"

"Hi," he said with an amused smile at her rambling. He briefly wondered why she was so agitated but knew if he was patient she'd eventually tell him.

"Hey," she smiled back and shook her head at him in reproof for his inanity. "You're such a jerk."

"How's the first day back, Dr. Sloan?" He asked with emphasis on her new name just to see the blissful smile cross her face.

"I have a patient with a severed arm," she told him quickly and the blissful smile faded. "And no one seems to be able to find it. I have George as my intern and he's the only one with any sense so far. And Izzie's being…not Izzie. She's…whatever. Burke's nowhere to be found and Cristina's sort of looking for him. She doesn't really want to see him but she does too. And half the hospital thinks that Alex, Cris, Mark and I had an orgy while we were on vacation which is totally ridiculous. Alex and Cris don't like each other like that and Mark and I only saw them a few times after the wedding so…anyway," she drew in a breath and stopped herself from rambling any further. His smile had turned into a grin and he seemed to be suppressing laughter at her. "Have you seen my arm?" She asked him with a severe look for laughing at her.

Derek chuckled anyway and then laughed a little more when she scowled at him. "I have," he nodded easily. "Both of them. Frequently." Teasing her was so much fun.

"Derek," Meredith whined even as her lips tugged up into a smile at his teasing. "You know what I meant." He really was a complete jerk sometimes. No wonder he and Mark had been close. They were two of a kind really.

"Then no…I haven't seen it." He shook his head. "Did your husband tell you that I'm borrowing him for a few hours again?"

Meredith sighed in disappointment over the lack of an arm even as she nodded an answer to his question. "Just don't send him home drunk," she warned. "The last time you did that he says he ended up passing out on the kitchen floor and I won't be home tonight to prevent it."

Derek gave a startled laugh. "Jesus, that must have been over a decade ago," he commented. "I promise I won't let him do anything stupid."

Meredith grinned at him with twinkling green eyes. "I'm not worried about him, Derek," she purred. "You're the one that picks up girls in bars now."

Derek groaned and scowled at her in mock anger. "Aren't you supposed to be looking for an arm and not taunting your attendings?"

"This is more fun," she told him even as she took a step to go back to Miss Walters' room and nearly tripped over the person that had crept up behind her.

"Hey," Lexie said brightly. Meredith stopped with an abrupt jerk before she ran over the girl…again. "I'm…I'm sorry about before," Lexie apologized quickly. "Don't block the doors. I got it now." She twisted her fingers together and looked at Meredith earnestly. "I was just so nervous about meeting you and I…" she trailed off and stared at Meredith hopefully.

Meredith had no idea what to do with that look and sighed heavily. She didn't have any idea how to deal with this girl that shared a father with her. Her eyes flitted to Derek for help or an out or something.

Derek looked over to the woman and then over to Meredith and then back to Lexie. He had a way to derail the conversation or lack thereof he just wasn't sure he wanted to use it. Meredith was going to tell Mark and they would tease him mercilessly. There really wasn't any other way though and Meredith looked so pitifully confused. He groaned out loud and shook his head as he plunged in with his eyes open to the consequences. "You're the girl from the bar," he stated with a wince for the coming teasing. They were not going to spare him simply because he was back to being Mark's friend and brother again. In fact that would make them even worse.

Lexie turned her head to look at him and frowned. "Sorry?" Her eyes held no recognition yet and only showed confusion and a touch of irritation at him for interrupting.

Derek's eyes cut to Meredith again and he sighed already knowing what she was going to do and not looking forward to it. At least he'd distracted Lexie from the conversation she wanted to have with Meredith. The conversation that Meredith was not ready for just yet. "You're the girl from the bar. God hates me."

Lexie blinked and then her eyes widened in recognition. "Oh my God, yeah," she nodded and smiled brightly at him. "Yeah. Hi." Her brown eyes still held confusion but she seemed to have forgotten altogether about Meredith.

Meredith stared with raised eyebrows at them. She wasn't exactly sure what to do with this new information but she wasn't going to interrupt what looked to become a very interesting chat.

"Hi," Derek said with a sheepish smile. He glanced at Meredith and nearly cringed at the light dawning in her gray-green eyes. He should have figured out something else to distract Lexie.

"You work here," Lexie said with an embarrassed smile. "Really?" She couldn't believe that she'd hit on her boss without knowing. Would this make things awkward now?

"Yeah, I do," Derek chuckled a little, his own embarrassment showing in the slight tinge to his cheeks. Bracing himself he turned his blue eyes back to Meredith. He did not like the grin suddenly curving her lips. "Mer…" he started warningly. Maybe she'd let it go. Though he knew better than that really.

Meredith bit her bottom lip and snorted with mirth. "New Bar Girl? Seriously?" She snorted out another laugh and shook her head her hand coming up to cover her mouth and the grin stretching her lips. "Jesus Derek," her laughter filled her voice. And then she covered her face completely with both hands and laughed helplessly. "Seriously," she gasped out a few moments later. "Oh my God." She shook her head and wiped at her eyes. "I can't wait to tell Mark." She couldn't stop giggling at the look on Derek's face.

"Meredith," Derek said again already knowing that it was completely useless. She was going to be relentless with this story. "Don't do this," he wasn't above begging.

Meredith shook her head vigorously and scooped up her charts. "I'm doin' it. I have too. It's too…perfect." She giggled again and then walked away before she made Lexie think she was totally insane. Or let Derek talk her into keeping this juicy tidbit all to herself.

"She hates me," Lexie said in a despondent tone as she watched her sister retreat from them at a fast pace. "My sister hates me."

Derek swallowed and stared at the woman before him. This was ten times worse than he'd thought and completely explained Meredith's hilarity. "Your sis…Meredith is your sister?" He was almost sure he'd squeaked that bit but with the blood pounding in his ears he couldn't be one hundred percent positive.

Lexie looked up at him and nodded. Her eyes filled with sorrow and bewilderment. She didn't know why Meredith hated her she just knew she did. "My half-sister, yeah."

Derek rubbed at the bridge of his nose with one hand. This was the worst. And he knew Meredith didn't hate Lexie. She was just…having a dark and twisty. Still…now Meredith was amused more than anxious so…dammit! "Mark's gonna have a field day with this one," he sighed as the full awareness of the situation hit him. "Jesus."

"I'm confused," Lexie admitted and stepped closer to him. He was very good looking and he'd been nice that night. So far she liked everything about him…even if he was confusing the Hell out of her right now. "What?"

Derek took his hand away from his face and gave her what he hoped was a comforting look. He wasn't going to give any details away in case Meredith didn't want her to know. "You'll have to ask Mer that later," he advised her after a bit of thought. Besides he needed to get a bit of payback for all the teasing he'd have to endure. "It's a story that you need to hear from her to fully appreciate."

Lexie frowned down at the floor and shuffled her feet like a little girl that had been caught doing something naughty. "But she hates me," she protested in a sulky tone.

Derek patted her shoulder as comfortingly as he could. "She doesn't." he denied and knew it for the truth. "She walked away so that she wouldn't laugh hysterically at me. You've just surprised her, that's all. She needs a little bit of time to process things and then she'll be ready to talk to you. And she's busy trying to find a severed arm." He hoped his explanation would be enough to dissuade the younger woman from trying to chase after Mer again.

Lexie looked back up at him here eyes once again filled with a kind of desperate hope. "Really?" She asked him and took another step closer to his side.

Derek nodded and hoped he wasn't giving her false confidence. "Yeah," he said even though he wasn't sure that Meredith would ever be ready to talk with her sister.

"Oh hey, you're Dr. Shepherd," she exclaimed suddenly as she caught sight of the name stitched on his lab coat. She reached over and put a hand on his arm. "I'm supposed to be getting you for a consult on Dr. Yang's case." She began tugging on his arm to get him to come with her.

"Well then," Derek sighed with a bit of exasperation. Lexie was supposed to be doing her job and not trying to find her sister to clear the air or whatever Lexie had been hoping for when she'd hunted Meredith down. He motioned her to lead the way to where he was sure Yang was waiting impatiently. "Let's go."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith stood beside Miss Walters' bed to get a bit of history and find out if there was anyone they needed to inform. She really hoped the woman had someone she could call on to help her while she recovered. "My arm is gone," the woman cried as soon as she saw Meredith enter the room. She stared up at Meredith with wide scared eyes.

"We have the arm," Meredith tried to comfort her without really know how. How do you comfort a person that is heavily pregnant, having contractions, has just completely severed her arm and seems to have no one? "And the other Dr. Sloan is checking it now to find out if we can reattach it. Is there someone we can call for you?" Please let there be someone, she begged mentally.

But Nancy Walters only shook her head sadly. "There's no one. I just moved here. I need my arm. I…I'm having a baby. Alone. I'm alone. I can't do this alone and…" she dissolved into sobs, her entire body shook with the force of them.

"Mark should be here any minute and then we'll do our best to get you fixed up." Meredith did her best to comfort the distraught woman. She knew there was no way to actually fix everything but she hoped that the little they could do would help her out some. And she wouldn't leave her all alone in this room if she could help it.

The woman on the bed wiped at her eyes a bit with her good hand and sighed. "I just…I wanted a kid so bad and I was sick of waiting for the right guy and now…" she sobbed again while trying to finally answer Meredith's question. "I'm all alone and I'm missing an arm and I…I'm alone. I just…My family doesn't approve. They…I'm alone." She said helplessly.

Meredith reached out and handed her a tissue. "It will be all right," she told the woman with a comforting smile. "You're strong and healthy and you'll be okay." Meredith had to believe that or she'd join the woman in her desperate sobbing.

"But I'm alone," Nancy cried again and drew in a shuddering breath. "I just wanted a kid. It was all I ever wanted."

Meredith sighed. She knew that feeling. She just hadn't told Mark yet. She would though…soon. "I know," she whispered to her and rubbed her shoulder as she would a child's to comfort them. She glanced up at the sound of the door and smiled in relief. "Here's Dr. Sloan now," she told Nancy with a bright smile.

Mark smiled at his wife; he loved thinking of her that way. Then he turned to Nancy and his smile changed slightly but didn't fade. "Nancy, I'm happy to report that your arm is in good shape. The prettier Dr. Sloan will clean it up and then I'm gonna put that arm back where it belongs, okay?" He kept his tone cheerful and soothing even though he knew her recovery was going to be long and hard and from Meredith's expression there was no one to come forward and help the woman out.

Nancy looked up at him trustingly, her eyes fixed on his face even as her fingers gripped the tissue Meredith had handed her in a vice grip. "You can fix it?" She begged for reassurance. She couldn't quite bring herself to believe that it was that easy. Nothing in her life had ever been easy.

"Absolutely," Mark nodded. He could read the frantic hope and encompassing sorrow in her eyes and hoped to make her feeling a bit better at least emotionally. She would need to be strong both for her recovery and for her child.

"He's the best," Meredith seconded. She knew Mark was the best in his field and was always happy to brag about his abilities. Besides she knew that even if he wasn't she'd be telling Nancy that he was if only to assuage the fear still lingering in the other woman's eyes.

Nancy nodded her expression finally relaxing as their words and confidence did the trick and made her believe that everything would be all right. "Okay."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

_Burke resigned.—Cris_

_He did what?!—Mer_

_He's gone. And I'm fine.—Cris_

_Where did he go? What? Why?—Mer_

_I don't know and I don't care. I'm fine.—Cris_

_You are not. You're Meredith-fine.—Mer_

_That'll have to do for now. Wanna get drunk later?—Cris_

_Sure.—Mer_

_Leave Mark at home or something. We're going to bash men.—Cris_

_Okay.—Mer_

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"The other Grey sister, Der, seriously?" Mark mocked as he pushed open the door to the scrub room. Meredith's giggles had made her voice mail almost unintelligible but he finally understood the gist of what she was trying to tell him. He walked over and stood next to Derek at the sink. "I mean…what are the odds?" Seriously they had to be astronomical. Derek had to be the only man on the planet that could hit on two women in the same bar a year apart and not know they were sisters.

Derek rolled his eyes and groaned and lathered up his hands. "Fuck off, Mark," he growled in a tone he hoped futilely would dissuade Mark from teasing.

"That's nice," Mark snorted completely uncowed by Derek's unwelcoming attitude and growling. "You know…it's kinda appropriate you know?" He blinked at his own words and then nodded to himself. It was symmetrical or something that Derek would find them both attractive. "Keeps things tidy."

"It's not," Derek insisted. "Don't you dare say anything about keeping it all in the family either. And I'm not attracted to Lexie Grey…or Meredith Grey for that matter. Okay…" he cocked his head to the side compelled to be truthful. "They're both attractive women but…Mer's yours, heart, soul and ring finger. And Lexie is…very young." There was no way he was going to get messed up with a Gray woman again. With his luck Lexie would have a boyfriend that was actually related to him or something.

"She is young," Mark smirked as he scrubbed his hands. "You cradle robber. And it's not like you have any brothers to spare," he proved once again that he could read Derek's thoughts. "You should be safe from that faux pas at the least should you decide to chase after Lexie this year."

"Shut up." Derek rolled his eyes at him. He had absolutely no intention of ever dating Lexie Grey. "We still on for later or are you having too much fun giggling with Mer?"

"We're still going out," Mark assured him. "But we have to go somewhere that isn't Joe's tomorrow night…or whenever the Hell we can get out of here. The girls have claimed it for a man bashing session." He shrugged not really caring that Cristina by way of Meredith had hijacked his favorite bar. Cristina wasn't having the easiest time of it at the moment and he wouldn't begrudge her the comfort or the use of his wife for a night.

Derek sighed heavily at the thought of Cristina's issues and Burke's abandonment of her. Finally he dredged up a sarcastic smile and shook his head. "Why are we giving up Joe's? We're the attendings. We should get Joe's." He knew it was a losing argument but he had to put the protest out there.

Mark stared at him for a long moment trying to figure out what Derek was really thinking. He couldn't decide if Derek was protesting for form's sake or if he really did believe the words he was saying. "You wanna fight Yang for it?" He asked in an incredulous tone.

Derek grinned sheepishly. "No," he immediately objected. "She's already pissed at me. Stupid Burke." He frowned at the thought of the man that had been his friend and then just…disappeared when his wedding to Cristina had fallen through.

Mark frowned and clenched his fists wishing he had Preston Burke's neck between them. "Pansy assed bastard."

"Yeah." Derek felt much the same way and knew that if Burke were to appear before them at that moment the other man wouldn't leave the encounter unbloodied no matter what they managed to do to their own hands.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"That was pretty freaking cool," Meredith said as she scrubbed out next to Mark. She'd enjoyed the surgery even with the complications and excitement.

"Yes it was," Mark nodded and yawned hugely. "Wanna catch some sleep?" He offered already knowing the answer.

"I'd love too," Meredith yawned as hugely as he had and let her eyes fall shut in a long slow blink. "Let me give my interns something to do and I'll meet you in your office, okay?" She bargained when she found the energy to reopen her eyes.

"Mmhm," he mumbled. He dried off his hands, stepped over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind her. He kissed her tiredly on the nape of her neck. "Where's the chain for your ring?" He asked when he realized she wasn't wearing it.

"With my ring in your locked desk drawer," she murmured and then turned around to face him and threaded her arms up and around his neck. She loved how she had to stretch just a little to reach. He made her feel safe and warm just by standing near her. "Figured it was safer there than around my neck," she explained. "I'm only going to use the chain for the emergency surgeries. I don't want to lose the ring." She knew it was silly and most likely a feeling that would fade over time but for now that ring was her most precious possession.

He settled his hands on her hips and leaned his cheek against the top of her head. He loved how well she fit and the perfection of her body melting into his own. "I'd buy you a new one," he promised her.

"I don't want a new one," she mumbled into his chest. She was so tired. But she had one last thing to do before she could curl up in the dark comfort of his office and arms and sleep for a few hours. "I like that one."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith knew where she would find her last intern without really even giving it any thought. George was unsettled and depressed. He'd also delivered a baby today. He'd be up at the nursery. He'd be where they used to hand out to make themselves feel better after a hard day. Even though they'd stopped doing that long ago. At least she had. She wasn't sure about him. She didn't need the softness of the babies to feel better. She had Mark and she'd thought George had Callie but she wasn't so sure anymore.

She trudged up towards the hospital nursery. She wasn't sure what she'd say to him but she had to say something. She was confused and a little hurt by some of his actions and words today but George was her still the brother of her heart. Even if he was being an ass today. He was still her brother. And she couldn't let him wallow anymore. She needed to find the words to fix him.

She stopped at the corner when she heard their voices. Lexie was with him. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. She wasn't sure how she felt about Lexie either. She knew she'd have to let the younger woman catch her eventually but she just wasn't ready.

Then she heard what Lexie told him and she sighed while pressing her back to the wall. The girl was definitely her sister. That would have been just about what she would have told him. And now she had even more to mull over. Dammit. Life wasn't supposed to be this hard or this confusing.

"You…are kinda awesome," she heard her brother tell her sister. Meredith had to agree…but she was too tired and emotionally drained to start the getting to know you process with her sister tonight. A sister she'd never known she had. And a brother that had wormed his way into her heart with his sweetness and his optimism. Life had been so much less complicated when it didn't have so many people in it.

Meredith watched them watch the babies for another long moment and then she quietly left the way she'd come. George was going to be okay. She had some hard thinking to do and Lexie had the situation with George handled for the moment.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

She had debated on how to approach her sister all day. She'd woken far too early in the morning safe within Mark's embrace. And she'd checked on her interns. And she'd done all the things that she was supposed to do all day long. But in the back of her mind she'd been thinking and planning and worrying and just…freaking out. She didn't know what to do. And her avoidyness was showing its colors and she knew it and she just…didn't know what to do.

Mark had watched her with those knowing eyes but he'd let her work things out in her own head. He was good that way. He let her know that he was there if she needed him and then he let her be. Let her do as much as she could by herself. She knew he'd step in if she let this go on too long or he thought she was hurting more than she let on. She wasn't hurt…not really, just confused and trying to control the kernel of resentment that had lodged in her chest.

Lexie was her father's daughter. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right that Lexie had gotten the wonderful childhood with two parents that loved her. But it wasn't Lexie's fault. Meredith knew that and yet…she still felt that Lexie had stolen her father away from her and now she was here and trying to take her hospital and her friends. She knew it wasn't true. Knowing that didn't stop the feeling from bubbling up though.

Derek had told her that he'd basically told Lexie to let Meredith come to her instead of pushing and while she was grateful for the space she resented him interfering…again. But he'd had good intentions this time so Meredith let it slide. Even if she did wish he'd kept his big mouth shut.

"You should just talk to her," was Cristina's unflinching advice. She'd rolled her eyes and glared at Meredith. "She's moping around as though you'd kicked her dog. Fix it, Mer. You're the only one that can."

"You don't have to love her right off, Angel," Mark told her quietly during lunch. "You don't even have to like her but right now you're tearing yourself apart because you don't know if you do or not."

"I know," she'd sighed. "I just…I don't know that I want to know her. Did that make any sense at all?" She whined and then shook her head in amusement as he smirked at her.

"You could always kick her to the curb later," he offered. "You could think of it as revenge for stealing your dad from you." He proved yet again that even if she hadn't said a word he could read every thought in her head and knew exactly the feelings buried in her deepest parts.

She'd chucked a French fry at him for his insensitivity and then leaned over the table for a long hard kiss because he always knew what to say to help her put things in perspective.

Finally sick of her own thoughts and the battle raging inside her mind she simply gave up and waited outside the intern's locker room. When Lexie emerged she hooked her arm through the younger woman's without ceremony or permission and tugged her down the hallway. "How do you feel about tequila?" She asked out of the blue.

"Um…" Lexie blinked at her, completely confused but willing to go along with whatever Meredith was doing. "I prefer whiskey but…why?" She may be willing but she hated being confused.

"You, me and my best friend Cristina are going to go to Joe's, get smashed and talk bad about guys, well talk bad about one guy anyway because there's only one man on our shit list this week." Meredith told her in a placid tone. "Lexie…you are not my sister," she said and watched in grim amusement from the corner of her eye as Lexie's face fell. "But you could be." Lexie blinked again and stared at her. Lexie's countenance was caught between several expressions and she looked so comical that it was all Meredith could do to keep herself from laughing. "I'm not good with the family thing," Meredith explained in a quiet and sad voice. "Until last year I never had any to speak of and I didn't even know you existed until a few months ago…same as you. So, we're going to get drunk and get to know each other and then…we'll see." It was the best she could offer right now.

Lexie let a smile seep slowly across her features. All she needed was a chance. She'd show Meredith that she was family and then…well, then they'd see. She'd always wanted an older sister. "Okay," she nodded. "Okay." She grinned at Derek as they passed him and he smiled back. Things were finally looking up.


	3. Whatever Happened to Addison?

**What Ever Happened to Addison?**

**_A/N: Okay so this is another filler chapter because while I'm assuming everyone's watched the show I could be wrong. So…yeah. Anyway. It's kinda fluffy and stuff so forgive me. I'm in a fluffy mood right now. This week. Whatever. The title is just because it made me smile when I thought of it. Though we do find out what happened to Addie in this chapter._**

Lexie tentatively strode into the bar at her sister's shoulder and stayed as close as she could and Meredith pushed her way to the counter. She ordered a whiskey on the rocks and then turned around stared at all the people inhabiting the bar for a long moment before turning back to her sister and her resident. She'd begun to think this might have been a bad idea. Yang scared her and Meredith made her a little nervous. On the other hand she was determined to have some kind of relationship with her older sister. Meredith was her sister no matter what the older woman said or thought. And her mother had told her that Meredith was a good person. Molly had said she was intense but kind. So she wanted to know this woman that shared half of her DNA. It was like a compulsion that she just couldn't resist.

"So why is the tiny Grey with us again, Mer?" Cristina drawled after she'd gulped down her first drink and had taken in the two woman with a long glare at her person. "She's an intern and we're not. And she's my intern." She gestured as she spoke, something that Lexie noticed she didn't do at work. Or not quite as much anyway.

"Because I said so," Meredith told her with a ring of finality to her voice. "And she's not an intern here. She's…whatever but not an intern. So be nice." She glared significantly at Cristina. "And you're not Dr. Yang here either."

"But Mer…" Cristina whined with an almost comically exaggerated expression of disappointment on her face. "She's the…she's…but…" She trailed off at Meredith's death glare and sighed heavily in acceptance.

"You didn't have any issues with Addie after that first night here," Meredith reminded her with a cutting sweetness. "We let her in and no one said anything about it." Her words said reasonable but her voice said to do what she wanted or there would be consequences. Painful consequences. Lexie hadn't been aware that her sister could be that scary.

"Well yeah," Cristina drawled completely unaffected by the tone. "But she's Addison Montgomery! She's the foremost neonatal surgeon in the country. She's…Addie." She finished inadequately.

Lexie wondered how much the other woman had had to drink already then her words sank in and she stared at them both goggle eyed. "You…you know Addison Forbes Montgomery?" She squeaked out. "She saved Laura and Molly." She stopped abruptly and nearly smacked herself in the forehead for her own stupidity. "Wait! I knew you know her. Wow! That's so cool! You know Addison Montgomery. Where is she? Is she still working here? When can I meet her?" She couldn't stop the eagerness from coming out in her voice. She wanted to be a neonatal surgeon and studying under Addison Forbes Montgomery would be the best.

Meredith shook her head with a frown, her eyes sad. "Addie moved to LA a couple weeks ago. She…needed a change." She seemed to hesitate over her words, as though there were more to the story and she wasn't comfortable sharing it.

"I miss her," Cristina said with an unexpectedly wistful note sighed. "She was fun to drink with." She slammed back the shot Joe had set in front of her. She grinned suddenly. "You remember?" She stood up and slapped a hand hard on the counter. "Derek Shepherd is an ass!" She said in a higher tone and set one hand on her hip in a move reminiscent of Addison. "He's the foremost brain surgeon in the country and he's got me living in a freaking trailer out in the middle of nowhere! With raccoons and snakes and poison oak! A trailer!" Her voice was a little shrill but still those that knew Addison turned to look at her with appreciative smiles.

Meredith giggled and put a hand on Lexie's arm to stop her questions before her mouth even opened. "Just wait," she advised quietly with her eyes fixed on Cristina. "This will be…fun."

"Tell me how is this fair," Cristina flipped her hair over her shoulder in another classic Addison move and smacked the bar again. A few chuckles from the surrounding patrons greeted the move. "Sleep with your husband's best friend once…okay so more than once. Still! He's punishing me by making me sleep in a freaking trailer. A tiny trailer. In the middle of nowhere. And I got poison oak! Because I was being nice. I was trying to let him sleep, for God's sake. And it's a freaking tiny ass trailer! And come on! It's Mark. Who wouldn't sleep with Mark if they got the chance…though he's with Mer now and he's the most faithful man I've ever met now…but…he's freaking Mark Sloan! And Derek's an ass." Cristina wound down and slumped onto the bar stool breathless with her imitation. She grinned at Meredith her brown eyes full of happy memories.

Joe set a shot glass of black and gold down in front of Cristina and then his eyes widened in humor. "Sorry Cris…thought you were Addie," he grinned at the Asian woman and then turned to Meredith. "How is she, by the way?" He knew if anyone in Seattle knew how the red head was doing it would be the new Dr. Sloan. "Congratulations on the nuptials by the way."

Meredith grinned at him and slammed down her own shot. "Thank you," she acknowledged the sincerity of his congratulations. "She's good. She bought a house on the beach. And she starts at the wellness center tomorrow. She says she's good." Her voice was unsure but she didn't have any proof that Addison wasn't doing well only her belief that the older woman was lonely.

Joe nodded equably and moved off down the bar to tend to some newly arrived customers. "Tell her I said hi," he called over his shoulder to the trio.

"That was funny," Lexie said slowly with a smile still twitching her lips. "But I'm a little confused," she confessed this with a grimace and leaned an elbow on the bar to better see Cristina.

Cristina sipped at Addison favorite drink with a grimace and leaned an elbow on the bar so that she could lean closer to Lexie. "You have a lot of catching up to do," she observed in a dry tone. "But you're Mer's…whatever so we'll tell you," she nodded to herself and took another sip of the drink. "How could she like this stuff?" She muttered with a scowl and then she focused on Lexie again. "But pay attention cuz it's a lot. And we're only going to do this once."

Lexie nodded and sipped at her drink while she considered her options. She could tell them she didn't need to know but then they'd shut her out and she'd miss vital parts of what had mande her sister the person she was. She could go along with it knowing that she was being given a chance that would be envied by the other interns. They would make her life Hell when they found out how close she was getting to the residents and through them the attendings. She'd never been a coward though and she didn't mind a bit of Hell. The relationship with her sister would make it all worth it. "Go," she announced and tossed back the shot before signaling for another.

Meredith smiled proudly and leaned a little closer to Lexie. "So…it all started…" Together they told Lexie all about the drama of the last year. Leaving out somethings but not much. Lexie was an appreciative audience, laughing or gasping in all the right places and genuinely enjoying their story telling.

Hours later Joe called the three hysterically laughing women a cab and then called Mark to let him know his wife was on the way with her two drinking buddies. After he hung up and helped the women out to the cab he watched them disappear in the darkness knowing that Mark would take care of his wife and her friends. Nothing bad would happen to the three women. He prayed quickly that this year would be easier than the last. It was evidently off to a good start though so he didn't think he had too much to worry about. He really hoped he didn't have too much to worry about.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Her eyes blinked open slowly as the sun reflected off of the water, through the window and onto the bed. She couldn't remember how she'd made it home the night before but she wasn't too worried. She'd obviously made it safely and she was in her favorite place in the world. Her husband's arms banded tight about her chest and stomach.

She let her lips curve into a smile. That had been an interesting dream, she thought fuzzily. She snuggled back into the warmth of his body and let out a soft sigh. She should tell him. He would like that dream and the decision that came with it.

But not now. Soon but not now. Now he was warm and she was sleepy and she just wanted to bask in the knowledge that she had everything she'd never known she wanted. Now was for being content and sleepy. Now was not the time for revelations.

She let her eyes slowly drift closed again. She didn't have to get up. They had the day off…well, she did anyway. He needed to get up but not yet. She would tell him what she'd realized later. His steady breathing pulled her under even as she imagined his reaction.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

When she next woke she was alone in the bed. She could vaguely remember him kissing her good bye and tucking the covers around her securely. That soft smile curved her lips again and she sighed happily. She was really liking this being married thing even if nothing had really changed between them everything had and all for the better.

Through slitted, sleepy eyes she watched the bay outside and let herself drift along in a cloud of happy. She didn't get to do this very often. Normally when she was awake she was moving and busy and had a ton of things to do. Even when she had the chance she usually didn't take it. Mark was there and playing with him was always more attractive than watching the bay as the sun set it alight. But for now she just wanted to lie in their bed and be. It felt good to just…breathe.

She blinked herself away from her drifting with a frown when her phone vibrated on the nightstand. She wasn't sure who would be calling her. All of her friends were either asleep right now or working. Her hand shot out of the blankets and scooped it up on the third ring. "'Lo?" She answered it groggily.

"You…you answered," the female voice on the other end was young and sounded shocked. "You actually answered. Goodness, I thought you were avoiding me. I…I didn't actually expect you to answer. Even though I've left like a thousand messages and I kept hoping you'd call me back. But you answered."

"Hey Molly," Meredith finally said as the woman's identity clicked in sleep fuddled brain. She hadn't recognized the voice but she knew that rambling. Nobody could ramble like a Grey girl…even when they weren't Greys anymore. "I wasn't avoiding you. Okay I was but I was avoiding everyone not just you," she admitted with a touch of shame.

"Oh…um…that's okay. I would completely understand if you didn't ever want to hear from me again." Molly's voice was unsure and sad and so soft that Meredith had to press the phone hard against her ear in order to make out the words.

Meredith threw the blankets to the side and slid from the bed in an unconsciously graceful move that would have had Mark pulling her back to bed if he'd been there and damn the person on the phone. "It wasn't that," she rushed to assure the younger woman, the shame stinging more. "I really was avoiding everyone. I do mean everyone…well, except Mark." She pulled out one of Mark's t-shirts and glared at it for a moment. She needed to cover up with something but she'd have to set the phone down to manage it. "Hang on," she said quickly as she decided her course of action. "I have to pull on some clothes real quick." She set the phone down on the night stand and pulled on the shirt and a pair of panties from her own drawer. "Okay, I'm back," she said a little breathlessly as soon as she was decently covered. "You still there?" God, she hoped so. She didn't want to alienate the one part of her family she even slightly knew. Though she guessed she knew a bit more about Lexie now. That girl was an amusing drunk.

"Yes," Molly answered, her voice again so hesitant and uncertain that it made Meredith's heart clench. "Meredith…"

"No, stop," Meredith said firmly and wandered out of the bedroom and down the hall. She peeked into the bedrooms as she passed and noticed that Cris' room and one other were occupied. Had Mark put she and Cris and Lexie to bed last night? Lucky man. And lucky her for having such an awesome husband. "I really, really wasn't avoiding just you. The day after the…funeral and the test my best friend was supposed to get married but her fiancé practically left her at the altar and she…needed me." She ambled down the stairs and to the kitchen while she talked. Her hand stroking over the bannister with fondness. God she loved this loft. It was so perfect. "So I went to Hawaii with her. And then Mark and Alex showed up on the beach at dawn on our…fourth day there. With a judge. And Mark and I got married so I spent the rest of my vacation on my honeymoon. So…I was avoiding everyone." She hoped Molly would understand.

"You got married?" Molly squeaked out and promptly burst into tears. "That's so…Mom really liked Mark," she sobbed. "I'm so…happy for you." Meredith wondered if that was really true. In her experience tears meant sorrow but how was she to know.

Meredith poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down in the breakfast nook to watch the boats on the bay. "Thank you," she said softly, deciding to take the words at face value and hoping she wasn't mistaken. "Mark liked her too."

They were both silent for long seconds lost in memories of a woman whose heart was big enough to find room for her husband's abandoned daughter. "How's…have you seen Lexie yet?" Molly finally asked hesitantly in a voice heavy with those memories and the more recent ones that had shattered all illusions she'd had of her father.

Meredith swallowed her mouthful of coffee and nodded before she realized that Molly couldn't see her. "Yeah…actually I'm fairly sure she's upstairs in my guestroom sleeping at the moment. I'm not totally positive because we were all a bit drunk last night. Joe called us a cab and I remember Mark helping us into the loft but…I don't remember much after that. If she was as drunk as I was then Mark would have made her stay here." Her husband was awesome that way.

"You…you went out drinking with Lexie last night?" Molly asked in a shocked voice. "_Lexie?_" She reiterated as though she couldn't quite believe it.

"Well, yeah," Meredith answered slowly, unsure why Molly was so surprised. "Why?" Did Molly know something about Lexie that she didn't? Was Lexie planning on some kind of revenge for her mother's death or something?

"Just…Lexie?" Molly still had that disbelieving tone. "She's like the responsible one and stuff. She doesn't…well, I didn't think she would go out and get drunk. I mean I know she goes out and I know she drinks sometimes but never the drunken stuff. Wow." Molly's tone again carried awe and maybe a little bit of a feeling of being impressed. "Incredible. Well done."

"Really?" Meredith mused something like pride coloring her voice. "So I'm a bad influence?" The very thought amused her. She'd never been a bad influence before. She'd never been a good one either but there was something about corrupting her little sister that just hit her as something that was supposed to be. It was like fate or destiny.

Molly laughed lightly. "Sure," she agreed with a giggle. "But you're the oldest so it's your right or whatever." She paused for a moment as though considering something. "Come to San Francisco and be a bad influence on me please? I'd love a break from mommydom." While her voice was filled with mirth there was also a note of wistfulness to it and Meredith remembered how young Molly was and how alone she must feel away from her family and with her husband overseas fighting in a war.

"How is Laura?" Meredith asked, knowing that if anything could cheer Molly up it would be talking about her daughter.

Sure enough Molly was off like a shot. She loved talking about her daughter and Meredith was a willing audience. She wished she'd been closer to Molly when she hadn't lived so far away. She wished she'd had more time to form a bond with her only niece and her baby sister. Still, better late than never.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

The light in the foyer was on when he opened the door and it made him smile. His wife, God that still hadn't gotten old and he hoped it never did; his wife was home and had left a light on for him. That just made him all sorts of warm on the inside. He shook the rain from his hair and hung his jacket on the stand by the door, placing his umbrella in the stand they'd found in an antique shop around the corner. "Angel?" He called into the empty entrance way.

Her head appeared at the kitchen door off to the side and she grinned at him. "Hey," she greeted him happily. "You're home." She stepped into the foyer, quickly strode over to him and leaned on his chest to kiss him. "Dinner's ready," she murmured against his mouth.

He immediately winced dramatically and eyed her with fake trepidation. "You cooked?" He knew his voice sounded wary but he couldn't help it. Meredith and cooking just didn't mix well. Ever.

She slapped his chest in playful anger and stepped back into the kitchen with a mock scowl. "No. I went to that Italian restaurant you like and got spaghetti carbonara and salad and cheesy breadsticks. And wine." She listed off and shot him a triumphant look.

Mark stopped abruptly on the threshold and stared at the candles and the plates and the food with something like wariness flitting across his expression. "What did you do?" He finally asked cautiously. He couldn't think of anything she'd done to need to apologize this elaborately for. Nor could he think of anything he'd done that was worthy of such a spread. "Whatever it was you know I'll forgive you. You didn't need to…do all this." He didn't want to irritate her if she wasn't apologizing but he really was stumped.

Meredith rolled her eyes at him amusement making her eyes more green than blue. "I didn't do anything," she protested, trying to hide her laugh. "Seriously. And I'm not getting weird. Promise. I just…wanted to spend tonight with just you. No other people at a restaurant. No interruptions from the delivery guy. Just you and me and good food." She shrugged not willing to spill her secret yet.

He eyed her warily for another long moment and then nodded his acceptance and sat down at the table across from her. He knew something was up but he couldn't decide what it was. And it worried him a little bit. As far as he knew there was no reason on Earth for Meredith to become a pod person. Unless Cristina had said something last night that had hit on Meredith's dark and twisties. Though he rather doubted that. Cristina, while blunt, knew most of Meredith's hot buttons and wouldn't purposely hit them.

"I talked to Molly today," she said after they'd served themselves from the containers on the table. She glanced at him covertly and felt a tingling of mirth skitter over her nerves at his expression before he hid it. He thought he knew why she was being so abnormal and it amused her how very far off he was.

He made an inquiring sound and gave her an interested look. Maybe Molly had unknowingly hit one of Meredith's buttons. Or maybe speaking to a happily married house wife had put his Angel into some kind of tailspin where she thought he wanted her to cook and clean and be…well, not her. "You mean you finally stopped ignoring her calls," he teased, hiding his anxiety.

"Whatever," she waved a hand like she was clearing the comment from the air, completely ignoring the fact that she'd felt even the least bit ashamed for ignoring her sister. She grinned at him and lifted a forkful of pasta to her mouth. "She talked my ear off for forty-five minutes about Laura." She paused and cocked her head to the side while chewing the bite. "Well, mine for about twenty minutes and then Cris and Lexie stumbled in and we got another twenty-five." She shook her head at the weirdness of that experience. It had been completely surreal.

Mark chuckled as he imagined the scene. "Bet Cris loved that," he commented the amusement still heavy in his voice. "What else did you do on your day off?"

Meredith shrugged complacently. "Laundry. Dusting. E-mailed the wedding pictures to everyone that's been asking. So…nothing much. You?" Truly she'd done a whole lot of nothing and loved every moment of it.

"Reattached a toe, did the second skin graft on the fire fighter, and consulted on a cleft palate and lip," he said easily. It had been an interesting day even if a bit routine and he'd missed having her at the hospital with him.

Meredith hummed and nodded though he thought she suddenly seemed a bit distracted. "Mark?" She asked moments later finally gathering up her courage. "Do you remember the first day Bailey came back after Tuck was born?" She wasn't altogether sure this was the way to broach the subject but she couldn't think of another one.

Mark forked up the last of his spaghetti and nodded. He remembered that conversation well and braced himself for the disappointment he was sure was coming. "Yeah, that was fun. Tuck's cool." He didn't want to hear her tell him she'd changed her mind so he hoped to get her talking about Tuck instead.

Meredith twirled her fork around on her plate and stared at her wine glass with unseeing eyes. "He is," she agreed with that air of distraction. "Do you remember that we said we'd have a conversation when I was finished with my internship?" She hoped he remembered. She really hoped he still agreed.

Mark swallowed, hard, leaned back in his chair and picked up his wine. "I remember," he said quietly. "Are we having that conversation now?" She was all he needed in his life, he tried to tell himself. Children would have been nice but they weren't necessary.

Meredith put her fork down, took a gulp of her wine and nodded a bit jerkily. "Yes?" She said uncertainly. She couldn't look him in the eye. She didn't want to know that he'd changed his mind.

"Okay," Mark drew in a deep breath and let it out. He could do this. He could be happy with just the two of them. "You know I want kids with you," he started and then shook his head. He hadn't meant to say that. "And I know you wanted them too. But if—"

"I do want to have your children," Meredith admitted hurriedly. "I really do, Mark." She paused and tried to pull her thoughts together. "Molly was just…so excited about every little thing and I…I want to have your kids. I want to feel that excitement and I want you to be there and feeling it with me."

"Okay," Mark said again careful to keep the utter relief from becoming evident in his voice. "Okay."

Meredith beamed at him and set her fork down on her plate. "I have an appointment in two weeks to get my next shot and…I'm thinking I should skip it," she told him carefully. "And we'll…just let nature take its own course." She hoped he understood her desire to try but not pressure herself or him.

Mark closed his eyes for a long moment and let the hope fill him up. She hadn't changed her mind. "Okay." He opened his eyes and the flames of the candles were blurred with tears of joy that he hadn't even known were gathering. "I…thank you." He couldn't be so far from her. Even just across the table was too much space. He stood from his chair and went to her. "Just…" he pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. She was giving him everything. Just like she always had. "Thank you, Angel," he whispered.

Meredith released a shaky breath and burrowed into further his chest. "Yeah," she whispered overwhelmed at the feeling of rightness, of being complete. "And…thank you. I couldn't even…contemplate this without you. You…you're my everything." She tried to tell him everything that she was feeling but there weren't the words for it.

"A lifetime of tomorrows," he vowed in a low voice.

And he gave her the words she'd been unable to find. "A lifetime of tomorrows," she returned in the same tone.


	4. LoveAddiction

**Love/Addiction**

Cristina's ringtone pulled her from the depths of exhausted slumber. God that had been a good night…but she was so tired. Groaning slightly, cursing Cris and detaching herself from Mark's side she slapped at the nightstand until her fingers curled around her phone. "Whassup?" She finally answered groggily. She could hear Cris's breathing on the other end but it took a few moments before Cris finally said something.

"Meredith?" Cristina's voice sounded off, wrong and slightly uncertain. The tone more than anything else had Meredith struggling to be alert. "There are wedding presents all over Burke's living room. Seriously. They're everywhere…and I think they're breeding." She said it all in a rush as though she just had to get the words out before they choked in her throat.

"Cris…" Meredith tried to wake up completely but her brain was just not cooperating this early in the morning or late at night…she wasn't exactly sure which it was. Her eyes focused on the clock on her nightstand with difficulty and she groaned again. "It's like two in the morning and we have to be to work in like…three hours," she reminded her person.

"I know what freaking time it is!" Cristina shouted in a mix of frantic anger and utter terror. "But the apartment's been taken over by the presents from Hell. I…I…" She gasped unintelligibly for a moment and Meredith felt real fear streak through her. Cristina did not panic and she did not freak out over presents.

Mark's form shifted beside her and he slung an arm over her hip before snuggling his nose into the space behind her ear. "Just come over here and use your room so we can sleep," he said loud enough for Cristina to hear with a sleepy grumble in his voice. "Please."

Cristina remained silent for an entire five seconds and then she sighed loudly and resignedly. "Yeah, okay," she conceded unhappily and yet with relief too.

"Okay," Meredith nodded into the darkness and ignored Mark's sound of discontent when she dislodged his cheek from its resting place. "Use your key and we'll see you in the morning," she instructed.

"Yeah…thanks Mer," Cristina's voice seemed a bit calmer but she cut the connection before Meredith could reply.

Meredith clicked off her phone and set it carefully back on the nightstand. "She's not okay," she murmured sadly and turned into Mark's comforting warmth. "Not at all."

Mark sighed just as sadly and tightened his arms around her in an effort to give what shelter he could. "I know," he agreed in a rumbling voice that was already nearly half asleep. "But we're doing what we can."

"I just hope it's enough," Meredith breathed out against his chest as she melted into his embrace. "Because she's…I need her to be okay eventually. I feel horrible that she's so…not good and I'm so happy. And I know it's stupid but…she's my person." She knew he'd understand the words she couldn't quite string together.

Mark sighed and rolled to his back. He pulled her onto his chest and nuzzled his nose into her hair again. He knew exactly what she meant and he felt the same was. "It's not stupid. I feel the same way. But…she's Cris…she'll work it out." He tried to inject a hopeful tone into his voice. "And we'll be here for her. It's all we can do, Angel. Believe me I'd go beat the crap out of Burke if I could but it wouldn't help anything. He still wouldn't love the person she is and she'd only get even more hurt in the end." He knew as well as she did that Burke was gone for good and that Cris was probably better off without him.

"I know," Meredith sighed sadly and let her eyes flutter shut as sleep once again began to pull her under. "I know."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Crap!" Cristina grumbled sourly when she stumbled into the kitchen early the next morning and made her way towards the coffee pot blindly. "Mer, will you tell Callie I'm going to be late? I have to…" she paused and her tired eyes lit up a bit. "Hey! Can I borrow the jeep?"

Meredith blinked at her in sleepy confusion from behind her mug of coffee and nodded when the words had processed. "Keys are on the hook. Why?" She tilted her head questioningly. Cristina usually preferred her motorcycle.

Cristina scowled as she reached for a cup that wasn't where it should have been and then shoved Mark to the side as she reached up to grab her mug from the cupboards behind him. "I'm taking the presents to the hospital," she told them with a determined air. "And then I'm giving them as bribes for surgeries. I don't want any of that crap…so I may as well use it for something good." She nodded to herself, satisfied as she poured the coffee into the mug and added sugar before sipping at it.

Mark sipped at his own coffee and watched as Cristina slumped beside Meredith at the small table in the breakfast nook. A truly freaky and wonderful idea perked in his head but he kept his silence for now, not sure how the two women would take the idea and needing to do a bit of research before he could make it happen. "You know…" he shoved the incredible idea aside and his brain lit on another one. "Give me the key to Burke's apartment and I'll get the stuff and bring it to the hospital for you. That way you won't be late." He knew his offer would be accepted. Cristina wouldn't ever be late if she could help it. She liked her surgeries too much.

Cristina peered at him through one tired dark brown eye and finally nodded her acceptance. "Fine," she said. "And you can pick one thing to keep. Thanks." Her voice was curt but he knew that was just how she dealt with emotions she couldn't quite acknowledge. Cristina was a proud woman and she didn't do well with accepting help from even he and Mer.

"Cool," he nodded happily. He hadn't expected her to let him have one of the gifts but he wasn't going to turn down free stuff. Besides, Angel would get a kick out of some of the stuff he knew people had given Cris and Burke.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Cristina…" Meredith said quietly into the silence of the jeep as she pulled out of the garage attached to the warehouse she and Mark lived in. "Are you…?" She wasn't sure how to phrase her question and didn't want to insult Cristina when she was so…not Cristina.

Cristina shook her head sadly and tore her gaze from the scenery to land on Meredith. The other woman was staring out the windshield with a single minded determination. Cristina knew she could ignore the unasked question but she also knew that Meredith and by extension Mark were worried about her. She'd been able to focus on their wedding and then having a good time while they were on vacation but now that they were back everything had hit her and she really wasn't sure of the answer. "I…I don't know," she admitted in a confused tone. "I'm…I just don't know what I am. I loved him. I really did but…I didn't like him very much. He was a jerk a lot," a small dark smirk crossed her lips at that admission. "And so I'm glad that…but he was always there…you know? I can't believe he left." She drew in a breath and shook off her sorrow and her utter bewilderment. "I'm so…angry with him. And I hate that apartment. I've always hated it and now…he's there but he isn't." She wasn't sure how to tell Meredith exactly how that apartment was affecting her now that it was just her there. She was so lonely and yet so surrounded by him at the same time.

Meredith nodded knowing that even though she'd try anything she'd say was inadequate. "I…I don't know what to say…but…I'm sorry you're sad and angry and whatever. I wish…"

Cristina gave a watery chuckle, knowing that though she'd try Meredith would never understand the emotions boiling through her right now. Meredith had Mark and Mark was Mark and utterly devoted to the woman beside her. She didn't begrudge Meredith that and she wasn't truly jealous of her anymore she just…wanted that too. Burke wasn't it and so she turned back to the view out the window with sad eyes and the beginnings of a healing heart. "Yeah…and I'm…I know you feel guilty or whatever and…don't. You and Mark give me hope. You two are the only thing that does."

Meredith let out a light laugh at Cristina's words. "Okay," she agreed and vowed to herself that she would let go of the guilt and just enjoy her bright and shiny new husband.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Mark hurried along the corridors after dropping off a bunch of wedding presents at the nurse's desk for Cristina to pick up. He'd texted her that he'd brought some of the gifts but couldn't fit them all into his car. He also told her he'd taken the bread machine. Angel would get a kick out of it. Even if neither of them ever actually used it she'd find it amusing that they owned one.

"I'm delegating. I'm a delegator," Richard's voice rang out loudly as they passed each other in the hallway by the O.R. board. Mark frowned in confusion after Richard's retreating form and then turned and caught sight of Derek's slumped form right beside the O.R. board.

"What's with him?" He asked his brother as he stopped and checked for any emergency surgeries for he or his team.

Derek gave a tired chuckle, a shake of his head and pulled eye drops from one of his pockets. "He's a junkie," he answered in amusement and carefully put the drops in his eyes.

"Him?" Mark asked sarcastically as he took a good look at his brother. "You're the one who looks all strung out," he pointed out with a hint of worry to his tone.

Derek shook his head, easily reading Mark's concern in those ice blue eyes and hoping to allay it. "I'm just tired," he admitted with a shrug. "On call rooms suck."

Mark sipped at his coffee and leaned against the wall next to Derek. "You have a house…well, a trailer," he observed with a bit of confusion.

Derek stared at the board with unseeing eyes. "I was in surgery until two and had to be back here at six," he explained. "The trailer was too far to drive."

Mark sighed in annoyed fondness. "Next time…call and come over. We have an extra room. You're welcome to it," seriously, he thought to himself, was Derek that unsure of his welcome? "Or the couch if one of the others is…well, actually Lexie's the only one whose stayed in the extra room. And Alex while Mer and Cris were in Hawaii for those three days," he shrugged comfortably. Their loft wasn't exactly intern (or resident) central like the house had been but all of their friends knew they were welcome to come over anytime.

Derek's gaze had shifted from the board that he couldn't seem to make sense of to him during his speech and his eyes widened in shock. "You're…you'd be…you sure?" He finally stuttered out, his voice betraying his hope and his confusion.

Mark shrugged again. "Sure," he nodded easily. "Cris stays over often enough that she's got her own room. Angel won't mind. And…" he paused and stared at his coffee cup for a long minute before finally laying all of the past year's anger and hurt and confusion to the side and letting Derek into his heart again. "You're my brother."

Derek let a grin stretch his lips, even as tired as he was he knew the import of those three words. "Yeah…okay," he accepted the offer and the implied forgiveness and apology he'd been handed. "Thanks."

Mark squeezed his shoulder in a sign of affection and turned away to go find his wife. He needed to let her know about this new development and he couldn't let Derek see exactly how thankful he was that their relationship was finally back on track. "Anytime."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Mark smirked at the heated conversation between Izzie, Tyler and Cristina as he studied the espresso machine. He really wanted it. Maybe he could trade the bread machine for it. Or maybe he could have both. A small hand on his back distracted him and he turned his head to smile down at his wife. "Hey," he said softly with a softening to his features that he only ever gave to her.

She gave him a quick smile and a kiss to his cheek before turning her attention to the espresso machine. "These the wedding gifts?" She asked Cristina already knowing the answer.

Meredith could almost hear Izzie rolling her eyes at her seeming obliviousness. "She's giving them away," Izzie said with clear disapproval even as she clutched the box in front of her to her chest as though it might run away. "I have dibs on the MixMaster," she insisted with a militant light in her brown eyes.

"I'm not giving you the MixMaster," Cristina objected in strenuous tones. She knew it was nearly futile. Izzie would get what Izzie wanted but she had to try.

"You're supposed to return them anyway," Izzie argued in a knowing tone. "Let me have it," she demanded.

Cristina stood up and glared at her hotly. She didn't want to hear about what she was supposed to do. Burke was supposed to marry her but he'd run away like a damned coward. "Burke registered for this crap," she waved a hand at the numerous boxes even though her eyes never left Izzie's. She was gratified to see the flinch in their depths. "And left me stuck dealing with it. I'll do whatever I want and I want to trade it for surgeries." She kept her voice level but everyone who knew her could hear the pain and anger hidden in her tones.

"What do you want for the espresso machine?" Mark finally asked her when it seemed as though Izzie and Cris would be stuck in a glaring contest for at least the rest of the day. Besides he really, really wanted the espresso machine. If he'd known what it was earlier he'd never have taken the bread machine. Meredith smiled at him indulgently and reread the specs already knowing that he'd con Cristina into giving it to them.

"What do you have?" Cristina bargained with a greedy light in her eyes.

Mark considered for a moment, trying to decide which surgery he could give her without upsetting his Angel. "I have a rhinoplasty," he finally told her knowing she'd sneer at it. Meredith frowned and shook her head in disappointment.

"No," Cristina said immediately, without even needing to think about it. A nose job was not worth her damned espresso machine.

Meredith elbowed his ribs sharply and gave him a significant look. He sighed and hoped he was reading her expression correctly. "I also have a rhomboid flap," he said slowly with his eyes fixed on his wife. Meredith gave him a small nod and smile. He felt relief course through him. He'd said she could scrub in on it if she didn't have anything else going but it seemed that she was okay with him giving the surgery to Cristina instead.

"Deal," Cristina said with a grin and a nod. She reached over and gently pushed the box a bit closer to Meredith and Mark.

Meredith grinned happily and picked up the box. "Score! Thanks Cris," she said and turned away from the counter.

"Hey!" Izzie shouted after her angrily. "She gave it to Sloan, Mer." Her voice was angry and more than a little envious.

Meredith ignored Izzie's tone, laughed, grabbed the box a bit better with her right hand and flashed her left hand over her shoulder. The peridot caught the light and shimmered. "Married," she reminded in smug tones. "What's his is mine and what's mine is…mine. So I'm going to go lock this in his…my office." She continued on her way confident that Mark wasn't far behind her.

Mark leaned his back on the counter and watched Meredith wander down the hallway. She was so beautiful…and mean. She was perfect. "God I love that woman," he murmured half to himself.

"We know," Cristina mocked him gently. "Believe me, we know."

Mark grinned at her and then followed after his wife.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"I have an idea I want to run by you," Mark said as she unlocked his office with the key he'd given her nearly a year ago.

Meredith nodded absently and opened the door with one hand and juggling the box with the other. Mark steadied the box in her arms and held the door for her to enter. "Shoot," she told him with a glance over her shoulder.

Mark wasn't sure how to ask her what he wanted…but he knew he needed to do it. He was sure this was the right thing to do. "So…the loft next to ours—" he started but beeping filled the room as she set the box on his desk. "Crap!" They both checked their pagers. "Pit," he sighed irritated.

"Yeah, me too," she responded with a glance up from the message on her pager. "Some kind of fire. Talk later?"

He leaned down and stole a quick kiss from her lips then nodded with a frown. "Yeah," he agreed though he wished life didn't get in the way quite so often. They locked the office back up and raced to the pit.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith sent George off with their patient, Clarke, for the CT he needed. She turned to her other interns with orders ready on her lips but her pager interrupted her before she could even say a word. She pulled her pager off her waistband and checked the message.

_9-1-1 Nurse's desk on O.R. floor. Cris_

"Crap," Meredith muttered under her breath. She clipped the pager back, dodged around a nurse and set off for the O.R. floor at a run. She heard the pounding feet of her interns behind her and nearly grinned. They were coming along nicely.

"What's the 9-1-1?" She asked a little breathlessly as she slid to a stop in front of her person by the nurse's desk. She'd run full out up the stairs and down the hall to get here and Cristina appeared to be fine…at least physically.

Cristina blinked at her for a moment and then slowly straightened from her slumped posture against the wall and leaned towards Meredith. "Mama is here," she said lowly in a voice that trembled with fear and dislike and maybe a shade of longing.

Izzie scrambled to their sides before Meredith could respond. "I'm working with Callie today. Callie. I need to find George," she said the words at an inhuman speed that only she ever seemed able to achieve and with just that tone that made Cristina want to strangle her…Every. Time.

Meredith shook her head and tried to process everything that was being said to her. Something about Cris' mom and George, maybe? "Your mother? What?" Meredith asked Cristina and shot Izzie a distracted look before trying to shoo her off. "He's working, Iz."

"No nonono, not my mother," Cristina shook her head a bit wildly her eyes wide and her body language screaming denial. "Burke's mother," she said with exaggerated patience.

"George?" Izzie stepped between them and pressed closer to Meredith in an effort to gain the information she wanted. "Seen him? He's your intern, Mer."

"Oh," Meredith breathed out in realization and stared at Cristina over Izzie's shoulder. "Burke's Mama. Mama Burke is here."

Cristina rolled her eyes and pushed Izzie out of the way. "Yeah. Make the synapses fire a little faster, Meredith."

Meredith scowled at her and shook free of the hold Izzie had taken on her arm. "You know, I was just with a patient. I could go back there. I'd be happy to go back there." She said threateningly.

"You have to help me!" Cristina insisted in a shocked voice. Her brown eyes pleaded with Meredith for something that Meredith couldn't put into words.

Izzie stepped between them again and grabbed Meredith's biceps before leaning close so that her nose was nearly touching Meredith's. "Where. Is. George?" She asked again.

Meredith wrenched her arms free and stepped out of Izzie's range. "Jeez Iz! CT." She turned back to Cristina ignoring Izzie again not that the other woman noticed as she raced away. "What do you want me to do?" She asked Cristina knowing that she'd do it.

Meredith felt movement behind her and so didn't even twitch when the "Dr. Yang," the chief said from over Meredith's shoulder reached them. "You scrubbing in?"

Cristina nodded eagerly and turned to follow him into the scrub room. "Get rid of her for me, please?" She said over her shoulder with those pleading eyes. "Okay? Just get her to go away."

"Right," Meredith sighed heavily even though her brain was already trying to figure out a solution to the problem. "Sometimes I wonder what a peaceful week would be like or maybe punching someone in the face…hmm," she muttered under her breath and headed off to find Mama Burke.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith stopped, drew in a deep breath and straightened her spine when she saw the older woman sitting in the waiting area. She still didn't know exactly what she was going to say but she was going to give it her best. This was so going to suck, though. Cristina owed her big time. Big. Time.

"Mrs. Burke," she greeted the woman in a surprised voice that she hoped didn't sound as fake as it was. "It's nice to see you again." The older woman looked up from the magazine she was flipping through and her eyes flared in recognition.

"Miss Grey," she nodded stiffly. "The maid of honor."

The woman's cold tone had the bright smile Meredith had pasted on fading to nothingness. "Dr.," she said slowly and with emphasis. She'd worked hard to earn that title and no one was going to take it away while she still had breath in her body. "Dr. Sloan, actually."

Mrs. Burke sat back in her seat and stared up at Meredith with a shocked look in her eyes even if her expression remained blank. "So…you went through with it," she murmured almost to herself. "You married him. Even though Preston told me that you and Cristina are the same. That neither of you believe in marriage." Her voice sounded disbelieving and yet with a strange kernel of hope.

Meredith scowled and gave the woman one of her best glares. "That's not true," she argued with more than a little heat to her tone. "It was never marriage that Cris had a problem with. It was the wedding and him not listening to what she wanted. What she needed. It was him making the wedding into this big production that…in the end was one day out of their lives." She tried to explain what the actual problem with their relationship was but knew that Mrs. Burke wouldn't hear her.

"It was never about the wedding," Mrs. Burke told her repressively her eyes hardening and her gaze level on Meredith.

"Not for her," Meredith agreed easily. Cristina had never cared about the wedding but Burke really had. He couldn't see past how much Cristina hated all the wedding hype. "But for him…?"

"Preston never told me you were engaged," Mrs. Burke stated in an effort to change the subject. Meredith stayed silent knowing somehow that there was more coming. She knew she wasn't going to like it. "And he never even indicated that you were planning a wedding too. You obviously went through with yours. And Cristina didn't." Mrs. Burke calmly put the magazine down and folded her hands in her lap.

Meredith hugged her chart to her chest and sat down on the arm of a chair across from Mrs. Burke. "I didn't plan my wedding," she denied. "I wasn't engaged," she wasn't sure why she was so adamant that she explain the situation to this woman. She had no place in her life and none in Cristina's anymore either. She just knew she HAD to get her point across to this woman and make her listen. "After…after _Burke left_ Cris she…she was a wreck. But her parents had already booked the tickets and the hotel and everything so…" She paused and shook her head. That wasn't where she wanted to go with this. She pulled her thoughts back and formed her words carefully. "You know…Cris scrubbed in on the morning of the wedding. She had her vows written on her hand and she washed them off on accident. She freaked out when she realized what she'd done. And I…I told her that it didn't matter. That Burke got her. That he would understand no matter what she said to him. That the wedding wasn't about the spectators it was about her and him. And she was ready. She wanted to be married to him. So she didn't want the huge wedding and the spectators or guests or whatever. She wanted him. And she did it all for him. And he said it wasn't enough." Meredith shook her head slightly as she paused to take a breath. Sometimes she still couldn't believe that Burke had been so…stupid and cruel.

"Sometimes—" Mrs. Burke started with a bit of a thaw beginning in her eyes. Only a bit though and she quickly hid it again.

Meredith held up a hand to stop her from speaking. "I wasn't finished," she declared and never took her eyes off of Mrs. Burke's. "Cris and Mark and Alex planned my wedding. Four days after we got to Hawaii Cris woke me at too freaking early o'clock and forced me to go to the beach with her. And Mark and Alex were waiting for us with a judge. Mark asked me to marry him. So standing on a beach at dawn we got married. Wearing a sarong and a bikini. He and Alex wore shorts and flowered, tropical shirts. And all four of us were barefoot. And it was the most perfect moment of my life. That is what a wedding should be. And Mark knows me. He gets me. He knew a big church wedding would only irritate me. Cristina and I are the same, and Burke knew that but…but Burke," she paused again and shook her head in disgust as she realized something about the man. "I was wrong. He didn't get Cris. He never really made an effort to know the person she is and not the one he wanted her to be. And that's on him. Because Cris loves him. Because she wanted him to be happy and he never listened to her." She drew in a deep breath and stood. "So you don't get to say these things and you don't get to tell me how _Preston_ feels or felt. I don't care. I know he's your son and I know you need to be on his side. But Cris is my best friend and I'm the one…Mark and I and the rest of our cobbled together family, are the ones left picking up the pieces of Cristina's broken heart and shattered dreams." She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "A marriage is about compromise and he never even tried."

Mrs. Burke stared at her and swallowed, her eyes weren't cold anymore but they weren't any friendlier than they had ever been. "Preston…he isn't a bad man. He's…he's noble and a gentleman."

Meredith shrugged in a defeated way. Mrs. Burke was never going to hear what she was trying to say. Burke was her son and she would only ever see the good in him. "Maybe that's the problem," Meredith mused aloud. "Maybe he's good. And he…needs to be with a woman that is good and noble and honorable. And Cris is those things but she's…she's a surgeon before anything else. And he never tried to show her that there was more. All the three of you, him, you and even her mother, showed her was that she didn't matter. And she couldn't be the person you wanted her to be. She's…her and you shouldn't have pushed her to change that."

Mrs. Burke sighed and twisted her hands together in her lap. "So you blame him because he wouldn't compromise his beliefs? That's…not fair to him."

Meredith shook her head in exasperation. "I blame him, Cris blames him because all the compromising was on her end. She had to change and give in. He didn't. He wouldn't. And a relationship doesn't work that way. It's supposed to be about a partnership, an equal give and take. And all he did was take," Meredith stopped herself. This was getting her nowhere. "And we're never going to agree on this. But…you needed to hear another side of their tragic story. So that…so that next time maybe you can…help him to be whatever the next fiancé needs." She nodded to herself. "Because…you're his mother and you want him to be happy and that's what Mom's do." She turned and walked away from Mrs. Burke before she was stuck in an argument that she would never win for the next few hours.

Mrs. Burke watched her go for a moment and then gathered up her shattered illusions and hardened herself to this strange feeling of wrong footedness. She would not let these people scare her off. "Tell Cristina that…I need to talk to her and I'm willing to wait as long as it takes," Mrs. Burke called after her.

Meredith waved a hand over her head in acknowledgement and kept walking. She'd give Cris the message but she doubted her person would talk to the woman. Not willingly and Meredith wasn't about to make her.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Mark shook his head silently at Izzie's clumsiness. He thought he knew why she was freaking out but he wasn't going to say anything to anyone. It wasn't his place to say anything about this farce and…well, it just wasn't anything he wanted to get in the middle of. He ignored her and turned his attention back to the burns on Mr. Roche's shoulder. He would do his job and let Izzie deal with her life on her own. She hadn't come to him for help in months and he doubted she ever would again. Not that he'd give it to her either way…unless Angel asked him too…and maybe not even then.

Callie rattled off treatment protocol mechanically, it wasn't something that she really even needed to think about anymore, and rolled her eyes at Izzie's back. "That boy of theirs, Brian…gorgeous," Mr. Roche commented to no one and everyone. "Sometimes they're not—kids. Sometimes they're ugly." Mark smirked and nodded, he'd seen some ugly looking kids in his time and he wasn't meaning patients with birth defects either. "You have any kids, doctor?" Roche asked him.

"Not that I know of, not yet anyway," Mark answered easily and thought about the possibility Meredith had gifted him with only the night before. "One day," he knew his voice was wistful but he didn't care.

"Not married either, are you?" Roche asked with a knowing tone and chuckled. A doctor as good looking as this one wasn't going to be married. He'd be too busy sowing his oats or some such.

Mark grinned and let Meredith fill the part of his mind that wasn't concentrating on being a doctor, it was a small part but…it was there. "I am actually," he answered smugly. "Have been for…almost three weeks."

Roche gave him a surprised look. He almost couldn't believe Dr. Sloan's words but the look of contentment on his face proved his words were true. "Why are you here then?" Roche asked amazed. "Shouldn't you be off on a honeymoon or something?"

"Just got back, actually…like three days ago," Mark answered easily. "She's a doctor here too. We took two weeks and then had to come back for work. And you'll be pleased that we did. I'm the best and she's not too shabby either."

Roche glanced inquiringly at Izzie and Callie and then back to Mark with a silent question in his eyes. Mark chuckled and shook his head in answer. "No. My Angel's off helping out with someone else."

"How about the two of you?" Roche asked the two women with a note of mild curiosity in his tone.

"No," Izzie said quickly and vehemently. She was not married and the man she was in love with was. God this sucked.

Callie chuckled and only Mark noticed the hesitation. "I am very happily married…for…about three months." Izzie nearly knocked the tray over and Callie and Mark both glared at her in reproach.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured softly and tried to look anywhere but at the trio that was staring at her.

"Stevens," Callie said in a hard tone when it became apparent that Izzie was just going to stand there. Callie sighed heavily. "Just…go…get some sleep or whatever and come back when you're less…whatever." Izzie nodded and turned to bolt from the room. "What is with her today?" She heard Callie ask before the door shut. "I mean she's Izzie but she's usually not that bad." Callie sounded irritated and Izzie knew that would be very bad for her when George finally got around to telling his wife about them. Dammit! How did she get herself into these situations?

Mark waited for the click of the door shutting and gave a slight shrug. "Couldn't tell you," he said in an effort to not have to lie to one of his friends. This was going to get very messy and he so didn't want to be involved. He didn't want to have to choose and he didn't want Angel to have to choose and he knew they were going to and he knew that even though they'd both stick with Callie they'd both feel supremely guilty for letting George down. Angel would feel bad over Izzie too. Stupid friends that couldn't seem to stay out of trouble for five damned minutes.

"You know something," Callie stated suspiciously. She eyed him with dark eyes full of doubt and a dawning knowledge that he had no intention of confirming if only because all he had was a suspicion himself.

Mark shook his head immediately in denial. "No. I don't. But…" he paused and sighed. He'd have to give her something. Those wounded eyes were killing him. "Talk to Angel," he instructed. "She…just talk to Mer, okay?" His Angel was going to murder him for basically throwing her to the wolves but she was much better at this kind of stuff than he was.

Callie frowned, knowing he was putting her off but also knowing that if anyone knew anything about what was going on with Izzie it would be Meredith or George and George had been strange the past few days. So she nodded in acceptance and left the room.

"Tell me about your wife," Roche requested softly. He had no clue what was going on he only knew the atmosphere in the room was suddenly heavy with some undefinable sorrow.

Mark grinned happily and started talking about his favorite subject. He could talk about his Angel for hours and hours if he was allowed and Roche was a happily captive audience.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith juggled the charts she was carrying and hastened her steps towards Bailey when she spotted the woman down the hall. "Hey," she greeted with relief. "So George has Clarke in line for his C.T., and we're just waiting on his blood work." She'd been looking for Bailey for the last five minutes and was surprised it had taken that long. Usually Bailey had the preternatural skill in knowing when and where she was needed.

Bailey nodded distractedly at her and continued down the hallway. She stopped walking abruptly and turned to Meredith with a considering look. "Sloan…" she said quietly in a thoughtful tone. This could work, she thought to herself.

"Um…yes?" Meredith answered and hugged the charts a little closer to her chest. She had a feeling that Bailey was about to ask her to do something that she normally wouldn't. She just hoped it wasn't something that would cut into her surgery time later.

"Sloan," Bailey said yet again, her expression still thoughtful but her tone carrying the slightest bit of wheedling.

"Yes," Meredith answered again. She knew that no matter what Bailey asked of her the answer was always going to be yes.

Bailey glanced around surreptitiously and then leaned a little closer to Meredith. "Okay…I need you to work the clinic, Sloan," she said in a quiet tone and hoping no one could hear her.

Meredith frowned for a moment as she juggled things in her head. She could do it. She wasn't all that busy and as long as her interns checked in regularly and kept her updated she could work the clinic with little fuss. "I—"

Bailey leaned even closer and allowed her eyes to convey her desperation. "No," she said in a firm voice and held up a hand to stop Meredith's words. "Before you open your mouth to tell me all the reasons why you can't just—just let me say this. I _need_ this. Because I have idiots—you understand me, Sloan?" She gripped Meredith's forearm in an anxious grip. "Idiot interns are down there in my clinic—" Her voice was beginning to rise a little with her apprehension of what those idiots were doing to her precious clinic without supervision.

"Bailey," Meredith said firmly and returned Bailey's strong grip with one of her own. "I'll do it," she said confidently. "I only have one patient at the moment and George is with him. I know you were about to pull the 'I saved your life' card and you don't need to. However…when George reports back to me…I'll switch off with him and put him in charge of the clinic, is that okay?" She stared straight into Bailey's eyes and awaited the verdict she knew was coming.

Bailey exhaled in relief and nodded her permission. "That's fine. George isn't exactly an intern, is he? And he won't let them burn down my clinic." She said this with the conviction born of knowing George both feared and respected her too much to ever cross her.

Meredith nodded with a grin. "Everything will be fine," Meredith soothed. "Besides you know as well as I do that half the time when I work the clinic we get an attending plastic surgeon down there to do sutures or whatever."

Bailey rolled her eyes and shooed Meredith away. Only after the woman was gone did Bailey allow herself to smile and exhale in relief. Grey was right. Everything would be fine…now.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith wasn't at all surprised to find her sister was one of the idiot interns infesting Bailey's precious clinic. The others were all standing around looking like the idiots they were and Lexie was inventorying one of the carts with shaking hands.

"Patient's charts?" Meredith snapped at one of the male interns. "Lab results?" She snapped at another. "Are any beds occupied? Are those that aren't prepared for the next patient?" She glared at them all even as Lexie's head snapped up and relief made her shoulders sag and her hands steadier. "Why are you all standing around?" Meredith barked at all of them. They scampered to do the jobs she'd rapped out so quickly their heads were spinning. "Grey! Come here."

Lexie dropped the syringes in her hands and scampered to Meredith's side. "Yes, Dr. Sloan?" She asked quietly.

Meredith made her way around the desk and sat in one of the chairs before looking over at her sister. "How many carts do you have left to stock?"

"That's the last one," Lexie told her easily. "I finished all the others before you got here. I'm sorry," she hurried to add. "Dr. O'Malley told us to come down here but she didn't tell us what we were supposed to do so I just…" she gave a helpless shrug. "I figured it was better to make sure the carts were prepared than to make the beds or something."

Meredith kept her expression neutral even though she was extremely proud of Lexie. The carts were more important than the beds anyway. "Finish that," she ordered. "And then come back and I'll show you how to input the new patient charts into the hospital system."

Lexie grinned, knowing she was being rewarded for something. She didn't know what she'd done but she was glad she had. "Sure thing, Dr. Sloan," she responded and headed back to the cart.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Hours later both women jumped when the swinging doors of the clinic hit the walls beside them as George blasted through them. Lexie swallowed at the frantic look on his face and Meredith sighed. He walked directly over to the desk and pulled Meredith from her seat by her upper arm. "I have to talk to you," he told her in a barely audible voice.

"George! What?" She squawked though she didn't resist his hold. He paid no attention to her words and simply pulled her into a supply closet.

"We need to talk," he told her in a dark kind of voice and shut the door on the curious faces outside. "Well," he reconsidered. "I need to talk and I need you to listen." He turned and poked his head out of the door. Seeing the crowd of interns still gaping at him he glared at everyone. "Private conversation. Go away." They had never found George all that impressive aside from the whole baby thing but right then he looked so terrifying that they all scattered abruptly and vowed to never piss the man off. He could be as scary as a resident when he wanted.

"What is going on?" Meredith asked him anxiously and sat down on a bucket after he'd dealt with the vultures. She had a fairly good idea but she wasn't going to let him know exactly how transparent he was.

George sank to the floor and put his face in his hands with a heartfelt groan. "I slept with Izzie," he confessed miserably. "The night you went to dinner at Susan and your…Thatcher's." Meredith was only shocked at the timing.

Meredith drew in a deep breath, gathered her thoughts, made her expression smooth and nodded. "Okay. I'm listening." She was ready for him to…confess was the only word she could use to describe this conversation.

"Good," George took his hands from his face and stared at her with broken eyes. "I slept with my best friend and it's killing me because I'm in love with her but I still love Callie. I'm…just not…in love with Callie. I want a divorce but I don't believe in divorce and Izzie says to wait to tell Callie because Callie's her boss and she's in a bad mood. I don't want to wait. I want to…" he trailed off, shook his head helplessly and then buried his face in his hands again.

Meredith sighed, slid off her bucket and knelt in front of him. She took his shaking hands in her own and squeezed them comfortingly. "George," she said softly and his eyes lifted to hers slowly. "You have to follow your heart. I know how crappy it sounds and I know that I don't know much about…well, relationships. Mark's the only one I've ever succeeded at." She shrugged a little and didn't know if her words were helping but they were all she had to offer.

George's broken eyes stared at her for a long moment fraught with uncertainty and sorrow. "And us," he murmured in contradiction to her statement. "What do I do, Mer?"

Meredith let out a loud breath and shook her head. "I can't tell you that," she told him uncomfortably. Mark was so much better at this stuff. "I don't know. Just listen to your heart and do what it says you should." She hoped she was giving good advice but she wasn't sure. Maybe she should have told him to talk to Mark. Then again…Mark wasn't really happy with George lately and he'd probably blow him off anyway.

George nodded absently. "I don't know," he finally mumbled and squeezed her hands. "I don't know what I want. I don't know. I have no idea what my heart is telling me."

Meredith let go of his hands and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I know you don't," she murmured into his ear and guided his head to her shoulder. "I know." She let her hands stroke over his head and rocked him for a long time. Rocked him like a child until his shaking ceased.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

_I require food.—Mer_

_Okay…meet in the cafeteria?—Mark_

_No, get me and Lexie something and come to the clinic. Lexie says she'll pay you back. I won't. Just so you know.—Mer_

_Didn't figure you would. Tell Lexie to keep her money. I'm perfectly capable of feeding my sister-in-law and my wife.—Mark_

_Okay. Love you. See you in a few.—Mer_

_Love you too.—Mark_

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Mark pushed through the doors of the clinic. In one hand he had the bag bearing the logo of the deli he and Meredith both liked and in the other he had three coffees from the coffee cart outside the hospital. He found it vastly amusing that June, the lady that ran the coffee cart, already knew who Lexie was and what her favorite coffee was. "Ladies," he greeted the two women at the desk and set down the drink carrier and the bag on the counter. "I come bearing deli subs and coffee. I wasn't sure what you liked, Lex, sorry, so I just got you chicken with everything, you can pick off what you don't like and June sent you your coffee." He handed over a wrapped sandwich and one of the cups. "And a meatball for the wife," he grinned at Meredith and kissed her forehead before handing over her lunch. "Because I do know what she likes and meat balls are her second favorite."

Lexie unwrapped the sandwich after taking a greedy sip of the coffee and tilted her head at him. "What's her favorite?" She asked blithely.

Meredith's hand flew up and covered his mouth even as her eyes lit in mirth. "Not the place, Sloan," she groaned in reproach. "Stop making my lunch sound porny." She shook her finger at him and whipped it away just before his teeth had a chance to close over it.

Lexie blinked. "Porny?" She asked, confused. Then she blushed as the meaning behind his words sank in. "Jeez," she muttered as her cheeks grew warm. "Men," she shook her head in disgust.

Mark waggled his eyebrows at her with an exaggerated lecherous expression and sat beside Meredith to unwrap and eat his own sandwich in the company of his favorite girl and her sister. "When one has a wife like mine one can't help it," he said in a mock serious tone. "Oh!" He turned to Meredith as he remembered something he'd wanted to discuss with her. "Two things…well, three but the last is for after work." Meredith waved a hand for him to continue so she wouldn't spray her mouthful of meatball sub everywhere. Sometimes he was really unobservant. "We're going to have an infrequent guest. Derek's trailer is too far for him to drive home some nights and I offered the guest room so that he can actually sleep." Meredith nodded agreeably. "And Callie needs to speak to you. Iz was freaking out in the patient's room. Dropping everything and Callie asked me what I know and I couldn't lie to her. I didn't tell her anything," he rushed to assure her. "Not that I really know anything I only suspect, same as you…but…yeah." He shrugged a bit and took a bite from his sandwich.

Meredith stared at him for a long moment as she let his words process and tried to come up with a plan. Finally she simply sighed and shook her head in resignation. "Okay. George came to see me anyway. But…I can't tell her. He needs to do it." She wasn't getting in the middle of this. Not if she could help it.

Lexie stared at their grim faces with a bit of curiosity. She been curious since George had burst in earlier but she hadn't felt comfortable asking any questions. "Do I want to know?" She eventually asked hesitantly. She wasn't sure she wanted to know but the curiosity was eating her alive.

"No," they said together without even looking at her.

"I don't even want to know," Mark said despairingly. "And it sucks that I do." He took another vicious bite of his sandwich and stared off into the distance.

"It does," Meredith agreed with a slow nod. "I hate being in the middle…or whatever, even though I'm not but I will be…but not. It's between the three of them and I didn't want to get into that. I'm shutting up now because I just gave myself really bad images." She shook off the thoughts and took another bite of her sandwich.

Mark gave her a disgusted look and tossed his sandwich onto the desk with a hostile move. "Angel," he whined and rubbed at his eyes with his now free hand. "Thanks a lot for sharing that. Now I can't eat."

Lexie gave them a confused look and then shrugged. It wasn't her business obviously even if she was insanely curious. And they wouldn't tell her even if she did work up the courage to ask them.

Meredith only giggled at him and shrugged as she picked a pickle off of her sandwich and popped it in her mouth. "Sorry."

Mark's pager beeped and he stood up. "Save that for me?" He motioned to the sandwich with one hand while he checked the message on the screen. "Wait," he stopped abruptly before he'd taken a full step, quickly wrapped the sandwich up and handed it to Lexie. "You save it for me," he ordered and then shot Meredith an exasperated look that both of them could tell was completely fake. "She'll just eat it. What's mine is hers and what's hers is hers and all that."

Lexie accepted the sandwich with wide eyes as Meredith laughed at him and at her sister's awestruck expression. "You know…she'll probably eat it too," Meredith warned him loudly as he rushed away to answer his page.

"I don't like turkey," Lexie informed her as she set the sandwich out of Meredith's reach on the other side of the desk. "Never have. His sandwich is safe with me. Besides…there's mustard. Ew."

"Really?" Meredith asked interested and a little surprised. "I don't like turkey either. I like mustard though."

"Hmm," Lexie hummed interestedly. She and Meredith had a lot in common for two sisters that had never met before a week or so ago. "Is meatball really your second favorite or did he only say that to be dirty? Cuz meatball subs rock." Meatball was her favorite.

Meredith laughed at the seriousness of the tone Lexie had taken to ask that question and settled in to have lunch and get to know her sister better.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Mark forced himself to take a deep breath before he entered the room where Izzie was treating Mr. Roche's burns. He did not want to go in there. From everything Roche had been saying about Marla and Brian he knew this one question was going to shatter the man's world. It was going to break his heart. But it had to be done and he had to be the one to do it. He opened the door hating himself and the hospital policies more with every second that passed.

He drew in another breath as he stopped at the foot of the bed and looked into Mr. Roche's kind brown eyes. "Mr. Roche, I'm gonna ask you a question and I don't want you to be offended by it, but the answer could affect your surgery." He stated in his most authoritarian voice.

Roche stayed relaxed even if his brows knitted in confusion. "Fine," he said and straightened his shoulders just a bit. He had a feeling that this one question was going to hurt and probably change his life. "Fire away."

"Are you a crystal meth user?" Mark blurted out unable to find a delicate way to ask.

Izzie's eyes widened in shock and Roche's simply stayed confused as they both stared at him as though he was speaking another language. He waited patiently for both of them to get their heads around what he was asking. He wasn't altogether surprised that Izzie recovered first. "You're kidding right?" Izzie scoffed derisively. "He's, like, sixty." She waved a hand at the older man as though to prove her point.

Mark didn't look at her, his entire attention focused on the man on the bed. "No judgement sir," he told Roche and there really wasn't. Roche lived alone and he wasn't…no one depended on him and it was his life. "All I need is a yes or no answer." He was fairly sure that the man had no idea what he was talking about but he'd been wrong in the past. It hadn't happened often in situations like this but it had happened.

Roche finally blinked though his confusion didn't seem to be clearing any. "Crystal what?" He asked.

"It's a drug," Izzie explained in a compassionate tone even as she shot Mark a triumphant look. "Highly addictive and dangerous."

Roche shook his head, still completely bewildered as to the purpose behind the question. "Unless it's in my blood pressure medication, I-I never touched the stuff."

Mark nodded to himself. He'd expected that answer no matter what Izzie thought of his question. "What's goin' on?" Izzie asked a greedy kind of light in her eyes. The woman never could leave anything alone.

Mark crossed his arms over his chest and gave Roche a sympathetic look. This was going to hurt the old man but there was no other choice. He had to know the truth, if only for his own safety later. "The Kristler's had a meth lab in their apartment. It's what caused the explosion," he said it quickly. He knew there was no way to cushion this blow for the older man. His world was crumbling and nothing anyone could do would make it any better.

"Marla and Dave had a drug lab in their apartment?" Roche asked in a disbelieving tone, his eyes wide and filled with doubt. "No," he shook his head, denying even the possibility vehemently. "It's not possible. Absolutely not." Mark stayed silent and kept his eyes on Roche's. He knew there was nothing he could do and that for all his forceful words a part of Mr. Roche had suspected something wasn't right. "I've known those two for five—five years." But he could read the truth on Mark's face. "We go on picnics, to ball games." He glanced over at Izzie. "I babysit for them," he continued and his gaze flitted back to Mark's. Mark finally looked down. Roche knew the truth and his brown eyes were breaking. He had finally stopped denying the truth. "I babysat for drug dealers." His voice broke and he turned his gaze to the ceiling unwilling to even try to process anymore information right now. His world was shattered.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith rolled her eyes to herself as her patient complained about Lexie staring. "Lexie," she called over to her sister. She turned to her patient with a small smile. "She's not staring at you," she explained easily. "She's an intern. She's staring at me because I won't let her touch any patients." The woman nodded in a bit of relief mixed in with realization.

"Dr. Sloan?" Lexie asked in a professional tone as she came to a stop at Meredith's elbow.

"I want you to palpitate her stomach," Meredith instructed her. She gave the patient a kind look. "Dr. Grey will palpitate your stomach and then we'll get you taken care of, okay?" The woman nodded a bit uncertainly. Meredith pulled Lexie a little bit away from the bed. "I'll be right there watching you," she waved a hand towards where Cristina waited for her. "Don't screw up," she warned in a hard tone.

Lexie grinned happily at Meredith and then palpitated the patient's stomach while Meredith kept one eye on her and the other on Cristina. She couldn't hear their conversation but it didn't matter. Meredith was letting her do something to an actual patient. This was great.

"Lexie," Meredith's voice called out in her I am the resident tone. "Pay attention to your patient," her order had a hint of sharpness to it that said she'd better comply or else.

Lexie jumped and realized she had been trying to read Meredith and Cristina's lips to find out what was happening. Damn her curiosity. "Sorry," she apologized to the woman on the bed. "It's only my second shift and I'm fairly sure my older sister already knows what wrong with you. It's also probably nothing to serious or she wouldn't have left you here with me."

"She's your sister?" The woman asked in interest. She studied Lexie's face for a moment and then turned her attention to Meredith. "You do look a bit alike," she finally nodded, satisfied with her own observations.

"Yeah," Lexie nodded, happy that someone who didn't know either of them could see the similarities. She took her hands off the woman's stomach and nodded to her. "Okay, I'll get Dr. Sloan back over here and she can tell you what we're…well, she's gonna do. Okay?"

"Thanks," the woman said in relief. Both because Lexie's cold hands were now away from her skin and because Lexie seemed so confident that this little pain wasn't anything to be worried about.

"Lexie," Cristina's loud voice pulled her from her contemplation of the woman's chart. The answer was just out of her reach. What had Meredith seen that she hadn't? An ulcer? "I need coffee," Cristina's voice was closer and Lexie looked up, blinking. "You're my intern not Meredith's so go…coffee…now." Her voice wasn't quite unkind but she wasn't Cristina the drinking buddy right now either.

"Yes ma'am," Lexie nodded quickly and bolted from the clinic at a run. She liked Cristina just fine, she was hilarious when she was drunk, but Dr. Yang still scared the pants off of her.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

_Bring my sandwich. 'Your' office. ASAP.—Mark_

_You mean my sandwich? The one Lexie and I shared?—Mer_

_Dammit!—Mark_

_I'm kidding. On my way.—Mer_

_Thank God. I'm starving.-Mark_

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Mark took the sandwich his wife held out to him, unwrapped it and bit into it greedily. "Pig," Meredith laughed as his cheeks bulged out with the size of the bite he'd taken and sank down onto the sofa shaking her head at him. "Seriously."

Mark grinned around his mouthful and carefully swallowed before answering his wife's accusation. "I said I was starving," he pointed out.

"Apparently, you weren't even half lying to make me feel sorry for you," she settled back into the corner of the sofa and propped her feet up. God, she wanted a nap. She could take five minutes here in the quiet of his office to just breathe.

"I wanna buy the loft next door and rent it to Cristina," he said suddenly just as she was on the edge of sleep. He'd given a thought to letting her go ahead and sleep for a little bit but he knew that if he did she'd just be even more tired for the rest of the day so he'd said the first thing that came to mind. "We can cut a door in the connecting wall and then…"

Meredith swung her legs off the little table she had a suspicion Mark had put there for just that purpose and stared at him with wide eyes. "Seriously?" She asked uncertainly. He wanted Cristina to basically live with them?

Mark nodded eagerly. It wouldn't be like the frat house. Cristina would be in her half of the warehouse and they'd have theirs. They'd be neighbors…with a door that connected their living spaces. Nothing more. "She hates Burke's apartment. So..."

Meredith jumped up as her pager buzzed in an automatic reaction. "Okay," she nodded and shook her head at herself. "Find out if she wants to move in first though," she advised. She pulled her pager out, thumbed open the message and then gasped. "I gotta go." She looked up at him with frightened eyes. "Alex."

Mark's brow furrowed in confusion. Alex didn't normally page either of them when it was just as easy to wander around and physically find them. "What's he want?"

"He's been hurt," Meredith said in a rush as she headed for the door. "He's at the clinic."

For the second time Mark abandoned his sandwich without thought or care. He leapt from his chair, bolted for his office door and raced after Meredith to make sure Alex was okay. Derek might be his brother again but Alex was his best friend.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"I'm okay," Alex said quickly as they burst through the doors to the clinic side by side and panting. He had his hand covering the back of his head and he nearly smirked at their reaction to his injury. "Seriously. It's just a knock on the head. I'm okay." He eyed them seriously, he didn't want them afraid or worried about him any longer than absolutely necessary even if it was comforting and slightly amusing to see them so ruffled.

Meredith rolled her eyes at him, pushed him down on a stool and peeled his hand and the gauze it held to the sluggishly bleeding wound away so she could get a look at it. "What happened?" She asked in an effort to gather information and distract Alex as much as possible from a wound that had to hurt like a bitch.

Mark peered over her shoulder without getting in her way. "Doesn't look too bad," he commented lightly. Seconds later his gaze and voice hardened as he realized what must have happened. "Idiot," he accused Alex. "You confronted the dad didn't you?"

Alex sighed knowing there was no getting out of telling Mark and Meredith the truth. "Yeah," he admitted and then told Meredith about the meth lab explosion and the baby boy that was addicted because his parents were fools. "I just…how could they not protect him," he sighed again as he finished his tale. "And I got mad." He shrugged careful to not move his head.

"Lexie," Mark said suddenly, startling Meredith enough that she nearly dropped her scissors and stabbed Alex in the shoulder. "Sorry," Mark muttered and then glared over at Lexie. "Stop hovering and come watch. You'll never learn if you stand so far away." He noticed the idiot interns milling around behind Lexie and sighed. There was no way he was letting all of them come watch. Oh well, they were idiots anyway. George and Lexie weren't.

Lexie ignored the glares she was receiving from the other interns as they bored into her back and strode over to stand at Meredith's shoulder so she could see the injury. "Ow," she murmured in sympathy.

"Yes," Alex answered in his cocky voice. "It does hurt. You could kiss it and make it better though." He twisted his head a bit so that he could see her and then winked at the pretty intern.

Meredith smacked his shoulder hard with her empty hand. "She won't," she insisted and glared down at him. "Dirty Uncle Sal. Don't hit on her."

"You're mean," Alex pouted exaggeratedly over his shoulder at her. "And she's old enough," he pointed out reasonably.

Lexie gave him a long assessing look and then shook her head with a bit of regret in her eyes. "And you're cute enough," she paused and waited for the hope to start in his eyes before she dashed it. "But the answer's no," she said blandly. "I don't sleep with my bosses. Any of them. Ever."

Alex rolled his eyes knowing he could change her mind if he really wanted to. At the moment he figured it wasn't worth the effort but maybe… "You sure you're related to that one?" He asked instead and jerked his thumb at Meredith. "Cuz she does."

Meredith hit his arm again though not as hard and there was a light in her eyes that spoke of amusement. "Shut up," she told him.

Lexie rolled her eyes. "She has a magic piece of paper that says she can so until you get me one of those then…nope." She backed away from the group with a grin. She knew she'd surprised them all and it felt good. "I'm…gonna go fold sheets."

"Good idea," Cristina nodded agreeably and hid her pride. Lexie was her intern and she was learning fast. "Let the grown-ups talk. Go on." She shooed her away with less than her usual harshness. Lexie scurried off and Cristina laughed softly once the younger woman was out of earshot. "She's got balls."

Meredith smiled proudly. Lexie was her sister. "She does."

Alex's pager beeped and he carefully pulled away from Meredith's hands to stand after he'd checked the message. "The police wanna talk to me."

"Find out why Mama Burke's here," Cristina yelled after him as he strode quickly out the doors of the clinic.

"Find out yourself, Yang," he called back without turning around.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Mark looked up from the chart he was studying at the sound of a familiar voice muttering. "Come on, come on," Callie muttered as she opened every door in the hallway. "Where are you?" She slammed one door closed and rubbed at her eyes even as she headed for the next. "Dammit!"

"How was the surgery on the old guy?" Mark asked her in an effort to distract her from whatever had her so agitated when she moved to continue down the hallway.

She stopped but didn't turn around to face him. "Fine." She answered. She turned away from the hallway she'd headed towards and started down another at random.

"Callie?" He called out, concerned.

She turned now and glared at him with her best glare. "I can't talk right now. I have to find a baby."

Mark sighed in resignation. Callie was going to be difficult today, not that he could blame her. "Are you okay?" He asked in a worried tone and moved around the desk and into her path.

She turned to him and shook her head. She rubbed at her eyes again and Mark wasn't as shocked as he could have been when he noticed the wetness on her cheeks and lashes. "A baby was lost," she gave out a grim laugh that had nothing to do with humor. "On my watch. I am chief resident," he put his hand on her shoulders as her voice broke and wavered. "I am responsible," her eyes filled and her voice quavered. "And the chief…he gave this to me and I blew it, and—and now a baby is missing so no, I am not okay!" Her speech was halting and becoming louder with every word.

Mark blew out a breath in relief. It was about time Callie broke down and admitted that she wasn't human. He reached out his arms and drew her into him. "You're not okay," he repeated in a low voice.

Callie laid her head on his chest and allowed herself to let out a single sob. "He slept with her, didn't he?" She asked in a watery voice. "He's having an affair. With her. With perfect Izzie."

Mark swallowed, not knowing what to say. He didn't actually know what had happened. Meredith hadn't told him what George had said but he sure knew what had been implied and he knew he was right. He just didn't have any evidence to back it up and Callie didn't really want to know the truth. Not from him. So he just stroked her back and rocked her. "If he did, then he's an idiot."

Callie let out a sound that was somewhere between a scoff and a sob. "He did, didn't he? And you all know it." But she didn't leave the comfort he was offering.

Mark rocked her for a moment longer and then set her away from him. He stared down into her brown eyes and shook his head. "I can't…I don't know. But you need to talk to him. You can't destroy your career over a suspicion. And if you and George aren't going to make it…you can't destroy your career." He wasn't sure that his words were coming out clearly. He had no idea how to make this better for her. He hated George for doing this to her and he hated Izzie for letting him, for encouraging him simply because she didn't like Callie.

Callie wiped at her eyes and stared up at him with broken brown eyes. "You know," she accused though it didn't sound like an accusation.

"I don't," he denied truthfully. "No one's told me anything about it. Okay…that's a lie," Meredith had told him a bit even if she hadn't actually said the words straight out. "But no one knows for sure except them. So talk to George. Because you need to talk to him. He's the only one that knows what's going on in his head."

Callie nodded. "You think they did though," Mark swallowed and avoided her eyes. "Don't tell me," Callie said quickly when he opened his mouth again. "I just…let me have one more day. I can't handle this today. Just let me have one more day where I can believe that even if my marriage isn't perfect that at least my husband loves me."

Mark let out an amused breath and wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. "You and Angel and Cris, I swear. You three…so much alike."

Callie gave a watery chuckle at a comparison she couldn't quite bring herself to deny and pushed him away gently. "Well, I switched to bottled water after the parent thing so…I think they put something in the air system here. And the three of us just react differently to it. It makes us avoidy."

Mark's lips creased in a smile. "Yeah," he sighed again and brought them back to the topic. "After you talk to him…if you need to get away…come by the loft. We'll…you're welcome there and it'll give you some space."

Callie shook her head despairingly finally realizing that she really didn't have anywhere to go that didn't have George or Izzie in it. "I can't…she might be there or he might go there."

Mark shook his head again and used his finger to bring her chin up so that he could show her he was telling the truth. "Nah," he denied with a shake of his head. "Izzie's never been there and George…well, maybe he messed up but he's a good guy so he'll let you be."

Callie nodded her expression relaxing a bit even as her eyes filled again. "He is a good guy," she agreed. "Which is what make this so damn hard."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG **

"Joe's?" Mark asked her when they bumped into each other in the lobby. "Cuz after a day like this…I could really use a drink."

Meredith nodded eagerly and took his hand in her own. "Me too. Oh God, me too." She let him pull her up to his office to grab the espresso machine and store their IDs in his desk.

They locked up the office, stowed the espresso machine in Meredith's jeep and walked across the street to Joe's hand in hand. Joe took one look at their faces and poured them their Dark and Twisty drinks without even needing to ask. They accepted them with tired, sad smiles and moved to the back of the bar, in the shadows where they always went on nights like this. Joe knew there were more coming. There always were. None of them could seem to have a bad day alone. He just hoped that at least one of them had had a good day. They needed a bit of balance.

Callie and George came next. Joe noted that there was space between them and around them. Too much space. So they weren't having an easy time of it either. Joe handed over the drinks and they silently went to Mark and Meredith's table. None of them talked. They just sipped at the drinks and stared into nothing. They were waiting for the rest. Joe sighed. Looked like his hopes for an easy year weren't going to come true.

Cristina wandered in alone and glaring at everyone, took her drink and joined them. Then Derek; face grim. Then Alex; shoulders slumped. As Izzie wasn't hot on his heels he figured she wasn't coming. Izzie nearly always came in with George or right behind Alex. She must be having a good day or she was on call. Finally Lexie wandered in, her head twisting and eyes searching. "Hey," she greeted him. "Um…"

Joe, knowing instinctively that the group had a new member, pointed to the table in the back. "Back there."

She turned her head and then swallowed hard, concern and a touch of fear plain in her expression. "They…they don't look very happy," she observed softly.

Joe nodded and looked at her speculatively. "Right," he said in realization. "You haven't done this yet." She shook her head and gave him a quizzical look. He poured her a whiskey and handed it over. "You go over there, you sit down and you sip your drink. Silently. Until one of them talks. Then you say what feels right or stay quiet. Doesn't matter which. If you have a problem then you can tell them…like…'I slept with my best friend's wife and now he hates me'. And then you just…sit and sip." He gave her an understanding smile as she stared at him in confusion. "It's a Dark and Twisty night. You don't have to join in. They won't hold it against you. And if you're not Dark and Twisty…sometimes it's better to just…stay away. Bright and Shiny will only make them angry and resentful on a Dark and Twisty." It was only fair to warn the girl. Izzie had had to learn the hard way.

Lexie fingered the glass for a moment then looked back up at him. "How do they take to Supportive and Silent?" She asked sincerely.

Joe grinned at her. "Good. You're learning. Go on then." He shooed her away with his proud grin and waving hands.

Lexie picked up her drink, squared her shoulders in determination and strode to the table. She slid into a seat at Meredith's side and silently sipped at her drink.

"Bailey hit me and called me an idiot," Alex finally said nearly half an hour later. He rubbed at the spot on his chest that still seemed to hurt.

"You deserved it," Cristina told him with a harsh look in his direction.

"Yeah," he answered with a nod.

"She took everything," Cristina murmured a few minutes later. Her eyes never left the ice in her glass as she spoke. "Burke's apartment is empty except for my things and the furniture. It's empty. Just…empty."

"My patient, Clarke, he died," George said when he couldn't keep it inside anymore. "He…he was barely thirty-two and he was a good guy but he messed up and now he's dead."

"I had to tell a man, a good man, a lonely old man that the only family he had were drug dealers," Mark commented with a shake of his head and a far off look in his eyes. "I had to destroy his entire world."

"I saved the life of a drug dealer and had to listen to the chief ramble about good people and how as surgeons we save lives and then she's a drug dealer who let her kid crawl around on the floor that was coated with crystal meth." Derek sighed and took a sip of his drink the disgust for himself and the entire situation clear in his expression.

"I screwed up," Callie said with a shaky voice, she had yet to actually touch her drink and her hands twisted in her lap. "The chief trusted me and I screwed up."

"I told a woman I barely know that her son is a jackass and it felt…good," Meredith said quietly, she had more she wanted to say but couldn't. She wouldn't hurt Callie like that. Not here. Not where they were all so safe to say things. After. Maybe. When George fessed up then she could too. "Telling Mama Burke what I thought of her baby boy felt too good."

Lexie finally understood exactly why they had gathered here and her heart swelled. They had allowed her in. They were all hurting and they let her see it because they trusted her to understand. She did understand. They didn't want someone to give out platitudes and tell them it was okay. They just needed someone to listen. And they listened when someone else had something to say. "My mom died," she murmured finally, the urge undeniable. "And I miss her."

"Me too," every last one of them whispered. Lexie remembered then that all of these people had known her mom. Maybe not well and maybe only in passing but they had known her. And Lexie didn't feel alone anymore.


	5. Let the Truth Sting

**Let the Truth Sting**

**_A/N: Okay so I don't much like this chapter either but here it is. Lemme know what you think…and enjoy it!_**

"Derek?" Meredith nearly squeaked as she entered the kitchen. "When…what…I didn't know you were here."

Derek turned away from the coffee pot and then leaned against the counter. "It's all right, isn't it?" He asked her softly.

Meredith shrugged and walked past him to the coffee pot to fill her travel mug. "It's fine," she assured him. "I was just startled. And you made the coffee so…"

Derek smiled at her and stared out the window by the breakfast nook. "So…any chance you'd give me a ride to work. I took a cab here last night."

Meredith nodded and took a deep drink of the steaming coffee. She winced at the heat but didn't stop. She needed the boost. "Sure," she told him as she refilled the cup to the top. "Gimme five minutes. Gotta make sure Cris is ready to go too."

"You know…" Derek mused slowly. "I thought you and Mark got this place so that you wouldn't have to deal with roommates."

Meredith shrugged again. "You and Cris aren't roommates. You're family. It's different. And you don't stay here every night." She headed out the door. "If you did…you'd pay rent." She shot over her shoulder.

Derek chuckled and poured the last of the coffee into the travel mug he knew was Cristina's. He stopped for a moment and then shrugged. Seriously, who cared if he knew which mug belonged to which person and how each of them took their coffee? It was a family thing.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"What've you got on today?" Cristina asked Derek as the trio got on the elevator. "Because I want in on it. I don't care what it is…I want a surgery. Interns suck. Teaching sucks. Teaching interns sucks."

"Clipping an aneurysm, tumor removal and…another aneurysm," Derek listed.

"I'll trade you," Meredith volunteered. "Mark's doing a free flap."

Cristina and Derek both shot her looks of astonishment. Derek's lips quirked and he hit the button to start the elevator climbing to the lounge level. "You don't even know what I'm doing today," Cristina remarked.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "One of his surgeries," she said and hooked a thumb in Derek's direction. "You know and I know and he knows that he's going to give one to you and I'll trade you because I adore my husband but I am not a plastic surgeon."

"Neither am I," Cristina squawked. "But okay. Aneurysms are boring."

"Only because you like hearts better," Meredith snorted.

The elevator bell dinged and the doors opened on Izzie's frowning face. "Ladies," Derek nodded to them as he stepped off. "Two hours, Sloan."

"Got it!" Meredith called back excitedly as she hurried off to the locker room with Cristina at her side.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

_Switched with Cris.—Mer_

_Why?—Mark_

_Derek has aneurysms and tumor removals.—Mer_

_*sigh* Fine. Go play with brains. See if I care.—Mark_

_I'll make it up to you, husband of mine. Promise.—Mer_

_That sounds promising.—Mark_

_Funny man. Love you.—Mer_

_Love you back.-Mark_

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Third shift and one of Alex's interns has already quit," Cristina commented as she pulled on her scrubs.

"Wish mine would," Meredith grumbled. "Seriously. They're freaking idiots! Except George. George is good."

"I want him," Cristina said. "Put him on McSteamy's service so that I can have an intern who actually knows what he's doing."

Meredith sighed but nodded. "Fine."

Cristina pumped her fist in the air and grinned. "Score!"

Meredith shoved at her shoulder. "Shut up or I'll take him back."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

_Freaking Methuselah is my freaking intern! Guy has to be older than my grandfather.—Alex_

_Ageist.—Cristina_

_If you didn't want an old intern you shouldn't have scared off the other one.—Mer_

_Maybe he'll be easier to teach.—Mark_

_You guys are so supportive.—Alex_

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"You okay?" Meredith asked Cristina as she stretched over the counter to grab the chart for Derek's patient.

Cristina looked up from the flower she was destroying. "Getting there," she murmured. "Just…"

Meredith nodded. "You want to…talk about it?"

Cristina shook her head. "It won't help. I just have to get through it."

Meredith reached over and squeezed her arm. "Okay. I'm here when you need me. And you know Mark'll let you cry on his shoulder if you wanna."

Cristina grinned. "Did enough crying on Alex's in Hawaii. I'll be okay…just takes time, right?"

"Yep," Meredith passed Cristina the file for Mark's patient. "Get crackin'. You know Mark. He'll be all pissy if you don't know what you're doing."

Cristina nodded. "And then he'll kick me off and be all pissed at you."

"Mmhm," Meredith nodded. "Give me an intern because you stole George."

"Which one you want?" Cristina asked.

Meredith shrugged. "Don't care."

"Liar," Cristina smirked. "Lexie, you're with Dr. Sloan today," she motioned the younger woman over. "Be good and…" she shook her head. "One, two, four…follow me. Send me George ASAP, Sloan."

Meredith nodded and grinned at her sister. "Pit for us…and then I have a surgery with Shepherd so…have fun in the pit."

"I hate the pit," Lexie groaned and then straightened her spine. "I-I mean…dammit! Sorry Dr. Sloan. Pit is fine."

"Good," Meredith nodded. "You'll get it. And at least it isn't scut."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

_Really old guy woke up!—Izzie_

_That's…uh…great?—Alex_

_Good for him.—Cris_

_Awesome.—Mer_

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Derek watched her scrub out and grinned at her. "Good job, Dr. Sloan," he complimented. "You caught that bleeder before I did."

Meredith shrugged even as she flushed slightly in pleasure. "You would have caught it before it became a problem," she remarked. "I just got lucky."

Derek sighed. "Don't do that," he said lowly. "Mer…you're an excellent surgeon. You should have more faith in yourself." He bumped her shoulder with his. "I wouldn't allow you in my O.R. if you weren't."

Meredith smiled and nodded. "Thanks."

"Dr. Shepherd," a dark haired scrub nurse poked her head into the scrub room. She eyed the scant distance between the two and frowned. "Um…we're moving the patient now."

Derek nodded. "Be right there," he told her. "So…see you at two?" He asked Meredith.

Meredith shrugged. "Tumor removal," she reminded herself. "Possibly," she nodded. "I'm covering the pit so…"

Derek dried his hands and glanced at the nurse waiting for him. "Rose…" he waved a hand at her. "I'll be right there," he said again. "Mer, I'll find you and find out later, all right?"

"Sure," she agreed. "Get me out of the pit."

"Slacker," he grinned and followed the nurse from the room.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Hey," Meredith greeted Izzie and ignored the other woman's interns as a matter of course. "Welcome back," she told the old man.

The man smiled back and nodded.

"Really old guy really did wake up," Alex commented and stepped into the room.

"He has a name," Izzie told him dryly.

"Charlie Yost," Meredith nodded. "Nice to meet you for real, Mr. Yost."

"This time tomorrow you can call me really dead guy," Charlie told them.

Izzie shook her head and shined a light into Charlie's ear. "Guys…I don't think he knows who you are."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Of course I do. She's Meredith," he waved a hand and Meredith grinned. "Did that boy marry you yet? He should. You're nuts about him."

Meredith held up her hand. "Three weeks ago," she told him.

"Good," Charlie said. "Best wishes. And you're…Alex." Alex grinned and nodded. "You still hung up on that old patient of yours? The crash victim with the baby?"

Alex groaned and lifted a hand to cover his eyes. "No," he muttered. "Just…no."

Izzie snickered and Charlie's gaze returned to hers. "I was semi-comatose, Blondie," he informed her. "I could hear you guys. Best soap opera ever."

Izzie shook her head indulgently and sent her interns off to run tests. Charlie gave her a mild glare.

"I need to go," Meredith interrupted when Izzie finished ordering the tests. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. Yost and I'll see you later."

"Call me Charlie," he called after her. "Her husband's a lucky man," he commented after she'd disappeared around the door.

"He knows it too," Alex answered him.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

George watched nervously as Mark made notations on a chart. "You mad?" He asked hesitantly.

"About what?" Mark asked distractedly.

"Mer and Cris switching and you getting stuck with me?"

Mark snorted. "Brains will always trump plastic for Angel and at least she didn't assign a complete moron," he said dryly. "So no…I'm not mad about that."

"Good," George nodded. He knew Mark was angry with him but as long as it didn't affect the work then Mark would stay professional. He knew that the days of being more than a colleague and sort of friend were over for now but he could handle that. He deserved it anyway. Sort of. "You…" he shut his mouth and then shook his head. "Why are you mad at me? How is what Izzie and I did any different than what you and Addie did?"

Mark sighed heavily and set Mrs. Williams chart on the counter. He leveled a hard look at George. The younger man squirmed but his eyes remained steady. "Addie and Derek…they were over long before I did anything with Addie. They just hadn't admitted it yet. But Callie…Callie loves you. She wants kids with you. She wants to grow old. With. You."

George ducked his head. "But…I…don't. I love her but I'm not—not In Love with her."

Mark shrugged. "None of my business," he said curtly. "And stop making it my business. Me and Angel are going to stand on the sidelines. We have no interest in getting in the middle. You and Callie are friends with both of us and we're not choosing sides. And after you tell her and it's over then we can all…be…whatever again. But for now…we don't want to hear about it and we don't want to know about it. This thing is between you and them."

George nodded and went back to studying his textbook. Mark turned his attention to Mrs. Williams chart.

"Functional muscle transfer," Webber said in an excited voice as he leaned against the counter next to Mark.

"What?" Mark shot him a bemused look.

"For Connie Williams," Webber continued. "I was reading up on glossectomies and saw the procedure. We could microsurgically reinnervate her hypoglossal nerve."

Mark stared at the wall for a long moment as the idea floated through his head. "A nerve graft," he mused and then shook his head. "It's too risky." He slanted a glance at Webber. "A free flap is still your best bet."

Webber shook his head and waved the thought away. "Even if that goes well, you and I both know she'll never speak the same. That woman loves to talk more than anyone I know."

"What's a functional muscle transfer?" George interrupted curiously. He kept one eye on them and flipped through the books looking for the procedure just in case they didn't answer him.

Webber and Mark turned to regard him. "You won't find it in any of the books, O'Malley," Webber told him. "It's cutting edge. You connect the nerves from the leg with the nerves from the tongue." He passed over a file with all the information he'd found to George. Mark stared off into space as he stroked and hand down his beard and thought. "It gives her a shot at really speaking."

"If it works," Mark chimed in. He wasn't sure about doing this. Part of him was excited at the prospect and the other part reminded him of the dangers. He could save her life without it but…he really wanted to try it. "They've only done a half dozen of them." And he'd watched tapes of all of them. He could probably do it. But…was it worth the risk?

"Better than none," Webber pressed. "Sometimes you gotta push the envelope, Sloan."

"Why?" George piped up. "Why is it better to do a surgery that neither of you have done than to do a surgery that you know at least gives her a chance to have a normal life?" He turned back to the files and away from their stares of incredulity. "Do you even know how to do this procedure?" He asked.

Silence fell over the other two men and when he looked up Webber was glaring at him while Mark gave him a smug kind of look. "Are you saying we're too old to learn new ways, O'Malley?" Webber asked in a dangerous voice. Now Mark glared at him too.

"No," George hurried to reassure them. "I just—"

"Are you saying," Webber continued. "We're old dogs who can't learn new tricks?"

"No, no," George said again. "I just don't see how the risk is worth it?"

But they weren't really listening. "We're not old dogs," Mark said in a cold tone.

"We still got it," Webber backed him up.

George handed the file back and nodded. "Okay," he said hesitantly. He watched them closely as Mark talked about the functional muscle transfer he'd done before and they bumped fists. He could see the bit of doubt in Mark's posture and the eagerness in Webber's.

"Get me everything that's ever been printed on this procedure, O'Malley," Mark instructed him after Webber walked off. "ASAP. I hate walking into anything blind."

"I wasn't calling either of you old," George told him.

Mark nodded. "I know."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Mark studied the information George had put together for him intently. He felt more than saw or heard Derek sit down in a chair beside him. "Do you ever feel old?" He asked Derek and tossed the file on the top of the desk.

Derek smirked as he took a bite of his soup. "I'm young. I'm a fetus," he teased.

Mark blew out a breath and shook his head. "I mean do you ever think there will be a time when new techniques pass you by?"

"I'm a genius," Derek teased again. "And a scholar."

Mark finally looked over at him. "Shut up," he chuckled. "And you're eating my soup."

Derek grinned. "Yep," he nodded. "It's good soup."

Mark nodded. "It is. Angel loves it." He paused and sighed. "Stay open later this afternoon." Derek scooped up another spoon full and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Functional muscle transfer on Connie Williams. If I get in trouble I'd like to be able to call on you."

Derek put his empty soup cup on the table in front of them and regarded Mark seriously. "You trying to impress the wife?" He asked.

Mark snorted. "No, that be easier than this," he sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "Webber's on this…age thing and he got to me. I'm not old and I know that but…"

Derek nodded slowly. "But someday you will be and realizing that is a swift kick in the ass," he stated. "Yeah."

Mark chuckled. "Yeah…so just…be ready," he requested.

Derek nodded. "Sure," he paused and then shrugged. "Mer's with me today so…I should be able to come save your ass. She can handle the aneurysm I have later…so long as I get her started and don't leave her too long."

Mark smirked. "That's my angel," he said.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"I hate you," Meredith told Cristina.

Cristina smirked at her. "You don't."

"It's a hemiglossectomy," Meredith groaned. "I seriously hate you."

Cristina chuckled. "You decided to trade for the brain stuff."

Meredith sighed and set her files on the counter. "And then the boring free flap became a nerve procedure and I'm stuck with aneurysms and the pit."

Cristina cackled. "It was your idea," she reminded her. "Now if you'll excuse me…I have to go study for a hemiglossectomy."

"Alex," Meredith turned to him as he approached the counter. "I'm no longer speaking to Cris. Tell her I really, really hate her."

Alex smirked and shook his head. "I hate her too," he commiserated. "I've got Methuselah for an intern and she gets to do a hemiglossectomy."

Meredith grinned. "Glad you're on my side."

"Fine," Cristina said in a put upon tone. "I'm leaving." She headed away from the counter. "I have a surgery," she couldn't resist rubbing it in just a little more as she walked away.

"Bitch," they both called after her.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Hey," Meredith greeted Lexie. "I'm filling in for Cristina for the moment. How's it going?"

Lexie rolled her eyes. "I pulled a splinter out of a guy's toe, and now I'm writing about it," she said slowly.

Meredith nodded distractedly. "Okay, well if you have any questions…let me know. Alex too. Or Cris. We're going to be switching off so just…look for one of us."

"I have lots of questions," Lexie snorted. "Just not about a splinter."

Meredith stopped and stared at her for a long moment. "You okay?" She finally asked. Lexie was tense and wouldn't look her in the eye.

"Being the favorite isn't all it's cracked up to be," Lexie commented with a sigh. Meredith simply looked at her in confusion. "Never mind," Lexie said.

Meredith opened her mouth to respond and then whirled when the trauma bay doors slammed open. "We'll talk later," she told Lexie and motioned her to follow her.

Meredith listened to the information the EMT rapped out and then directed them to Trauma One. "Let's go, Lex," she called as she looked at the chart. "Get the intubation tray ready," she ordered.

Lexie did as Meredith ordered and watched as the EMT and Meredith spoke quickly and efficiently. She was in awe of her older sister. Meredith didn't blink or cringe or hesitate. She was calm and cool and a little cold as she ordered everyone around.

"Lexie," Meredith's sharp voice brought her back to herself. "You know how to intubate?" She asked when Lexie's gaze focused on her.

Lexie stared at her wide-eyed. "Uh…I've never done it before," she admitted with an embarrassed shrug.

Meredith nodded. "But you've seen it done?" She asked.

Lexie nodded. "A few times."

"Okay," Meredith nodded again. "Come do one now," she ordered.

Lexie's eyes got bigger. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she dragged Lexie to the patient's head. "Let's go," she handed Lexie the tool and instructed her on how to intubate the man.

"I—I can't see the cords," Lexie panicked and shot a look at Meredith's calm face. "You should do this."

"Breathe," Meredith ordered her sharply. "You can do this."

Lexie nodded and drew in a breath. "I can do this," she repeated and smoothly slid the tube between the cords. "What next?" She asked as she took her hands away from the patient.

Meredith handed her the ambu bag. The heart monitor rang out with its flat tone. Meredith lifted a brow at Lexie. "What next, Dr. Grey?" She asked.

"C-crash cart," Lexie stuttered. "Get the crash cart," she ordered the nurse's. She took the paddles when they handed them over. "Charge to 260."

Meredith stepped back and let Lexie take charge. Her lips curved in a small smile. Once she'd gotten over her nerves Lexie took to the procedure like a pro. The nerves would fade with time and experience but she was still doing a great job. Looked like the doctor gene wasn't just in her mother's DNA.

She waited patiently for long minutes and then stepped forward. "You have to call it Lexie," she said gently.

Lexie turned frantic eyes to her and shook her head. "No…he's…I can…" She broke off frustrated and ordered the nurse's to charge again.

"Dr. Grey," Meredith said sharply. "You have to call time of death. Now. He's gone and there's nothing we can do."

Lexie called the TOD in a shaky voice and then stared at Meredith with furious tear-filled eyes. "You should have taken over," she said. "I'm an intern. I have no idea what I'm doing! You could have saved him!"

Meredith shook her head. "No. He was dead before he ever got here. He was dead on the scene. He was dead for fifteen minutes in the ambulance. There was nothing we could have done."

"You didn't even try!" Lexie shouted.

Meredith sighed and looked up at her sister. "Lexie…" she started.

"No," Lexie made a cutting motion with her hand. "They brought him here for help and you just…"

"They brought him here because they are legally required to do so," Meredith retorted. "And I am required to teach you and you did a good job."

"A good job?" Lexie hissed. "He died! How can you be so…cold and cavalier about it?" She turned away and stared at the wall.

Meredith drew in a deep breath and motioned for the orderlies to take the body away. "Go help Bailey in the clinic," she ordered Lexie. "We'll talk about this later. Right now I have a surgery to get to."

"It's always later with you," Lexie said in a quiet voice. "You never listen when I need you too."

Meredith put one hand to her head and then shook it. "If I stay here right now…especially after that I'm going to say something I don't mean and I'm not going to argue with you while we're both this angry. Go to the clinic, Dr. Grey." She turned away and bolted from the room.

Lexie watched her go and then headed for the clinic. She was angry with Meredith but she was more angry with herself. She hadn't meant to hurt her sister…though a part of her had. She just…everything was so messed up anymore.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Meredith," Derek asked her quietly in the scrub room. "You okay?"

Meredith sighed. "No," she admitted. "But…I'm fine."

"Right…" Derek drew the word out in a questioning tone.

Meredith gave him a small smile and then her eyes widened. "You have sisters," she said. "Four of them right?"

Derek nodded with a soft smile. "Yep."

Meredith nodded too and then stared into the OR. "What happens when they argue with each other?" She asked him. "I mean…how long do they stay mad? And what do they do?"

Understanding lit Derek's sky blue eyes. "Ah, well, it depends on what they're fighting about. Sometimes it's screaming at each other and death threats. Sometimes it World War III. Sometimes it's an icy silence between whomever is arguing. But eventually one of them will wear down and apologize. It doesn't usually matter which one started it or who was in the right one of them will apologize and then…it's over and done."

Meredith turned astonished eyes to him. "That's it?" She squeaked out. "That's all there is to it?"

Derek grinned. "Well what happens when you and Yang fight?" He asked her calmly.

Meredith blinked and tilted her head. "Name calling, sometimes the silence thing, yelling and screaming and then one of us just…brings the other a coffee or gives up a surgery or something. Then it's back to normal."

Derek used his elbow to shut off the water. "There you go then," he told her.

Meredith turned off her own water and shook her head. "Isn't that a little…to easy?"

Derek shrugged and led the way from the scrub room. "No. It's family."

"Dr. Shepherd," the dark haired nurse from earlier greeted him. "Dr. Grey…I mean, Sloan." Her voice was cooler when she addressed Meredith.

Meredith blinked but shrugged it off. "I've never…family hunh?" She shook her head again. "I'm not good with that stuff."

"You know…" Derek grinned. "You keep saying that but nobody believes you anymore. I don't think you even believe yourself." He motioned for her to stand beside him. "It's a beautiful day to save lives."

Meredith shot him a dark look and then trained her gaze on the brain in front of them. There was work to do.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"I screwed up," Lexie breathed out and leaned against the wall. "I yelled at Meredith and she was right. And I said awful things and…I forgot that she wasn't Molly, I guess and she sent me to the clinic for a time out."

Mark sighed and leaned on the wall beside her. "She'll forgive you," he told her. "Angel doesn't hold grudges."

"I know," she whispered. "It's just…I know she hates my dad and I think she maybe hates me right now and she obviously hated my mom. She didn't even come to the funeral or anything and the other interns are giving me grief because…well, I hang out with her a lot and they see that it's not…and you all let me in on a lot of procedures and stuff even if you don't let me touch and none of them have been in an OR yet and I have and…"

Mark held up a hand to stop her. He drew in a breath to quell the rage boiling inside him and drew her into an empty conference room. "Look…first off…Angel didn't hate your mom. She adored her. Seriously. And she doesn't hate Thatcher she has strong feelings of fear and dislike but he did hit her in the face the night your mom died so—"

"He…he hit her?" Lexie asked in confusion. "Like hit her?"

Mark nodded soberly. "Yes. I hate Thatcher Grey. She just…Angel can't hate. She just doesn't have the ability. As for her not coming to the funeral. He told her not too. Yelled at her in front of everyone in the ER that he didn't want her there and never wanted to see her again. Out of respect for your mother we all skipped the funeral so that he wouldn't cause a scene at it."

Lexie blinked big brown eyes up at him and her frown deepened. "That's…that's not what Dad said. And Molly…she didn't tell me. Why didn't she…?"

Mark snorted derisively. "He wouldn't want to tell you that he smacked Meredith and blamed her for your mom dying would he?" He shook the dark thoughts off. "As for Molly…she was so shocked when she saw Angel's face and then Angel…took off. We went to Hawaii and she ignored everyone except me. Molly wouldn't have wanted to shatter your illusions of your dad."

Lexie shook her head again. "But…why didn't any of you say anything?" She asked in a choked voice.

"Angel asked them not too and it's not any of their concern. Angel…well, she figured if you didn't know then you didn't need too." He shrugged.

"So…why are you telling me? Aren't you worried I'll…think you're lying or something?" She straightened up and stared at him. She didn't think he was lying but…she wished he was. It was easier to blame Meredith than believe that her dad was a monster under the gentle, loving man he'd always been to her.

Mark shrugged again. "Because…" he shook his head. "Lexie…I'm not a nice man. I'm cruel and I don't care about much of anything. But, Angel's mine. And her I care about. I adore her. I love her with everything I am. I don't care if I shatter all of your illusions about your dad. I don't care if it hurts you. I really don't. The truth is an awful thing sometimes. I will do anything to make my Angel happy and protect her as much as she'll let me. She's my only priority. If you want to…be her sister or whatever then you need to know the truth so that you don't hurt her in your own ignorance." Mark drew in another deep breath and glared at the young woman. "I have no idea what awful things you said but I'm fairly sure they would have wounded her deeper than you would think. She's…Angel's tough but she's fragile and her mom messed her up and your dad abandoned her and then when she thought everything was moving along…your mom died and he hurt her. Abandoned her again and she…" He shook his head and stopped. "As for the other interns…do you really care what they think of you? So you're getting a chance to learn and they're jealous. So what?"

Lexie took a moment to process everything he was saying and then sighed. "I don't care about them. Not really. It's just…tense and I don't know how to stop it."

"Tell them to fuck off," Mark advised. "They don't have access to your file. I do. The rest of them do. You were top of your class at Harvard for fuck's sake. Even if you weren't Angel's sister we'd be favoring you. I wouldn't…but I'm an ass and proud of it and I hate most interns. So…tell 'em to fuck off. You earned this…and you're good. Smart. Efficient. Calm. All that crap that makes a good doctor. And you're compassionate and caring. Which makes a great doctor. So…"

Lexie nodded. "Okay…and I'll find Meredith and apologize later…when she's cooled off and I've…figured out what to say."

"Good idea," Mark nodded approvingly.

Lexie moved to walk away and then she turned back to him. "Mark?" He made an inquiring hum. "She's really lucky to have you. That you love her so much."

Mark shook his head. "I'm the lucky one."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"The aneurysm has been pushed back to tomorrow," Derek told her. "Karev has a kid with hydrocephalus."

Meredith nodded. "Okay. I should find Lexie anyway."

Derek squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "It'll be all right, Mer. Just explain to her why you had her intubate a dead guy."

"It's not that simple," Meredith shook her head. "She doesn't know…she only has what Thatcher told her about how Susan…died."

Derek nodded. "So take the file and show her. She's a doctor too. She'll understand. And if she has any questions…answer them honestly and completely. She'll want that much. You don't need to tell her what he did."

"Except…I feel like I'm lying to her. And I hate that. Keeping secrets sucks."

"Then tell her. I'm surprised nobody's messed it up yet anyway. She's going to find out."

Meredith nodded. "Yeah."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

_Charlie died. Come to his room.—Izzie_

_Why?—Alex, Cris, Mer, George_

_Because he didn't have anyone else and we're going to have a memorial for him.—Izzie_

_Come NOW!—Izzie_

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Joe's?" Cristina asked Meredith and Alex lowly as they walked away from Mr. Yost's room. "I could use a night out."

Meredith gave a small shrug and Alex nodded. "Sorry," Meredith told them. "Maybe later. I have to go talk to Lexie first."

"Okay," they chorused.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Hey," Meredith said softly and hugged the file to her chest. "Can we…talk?"

Lexie looked up from her chart and nodded. "Sure…" she drew in a deep breath as Meredith came to stand beside her. "Look…first…I'm sorry. For…what I said and for…"

Meredith gave her a shocked look and then sighed heavily. "Mark," she muttered. "He told you."

Lexie nodded. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry he told you. You don't need that heaped on you."

Lexie reached out and carefully stroked a hand over Meredith's cheekbone. "I'm glad he did." She took her hand away and looked back down at the chart in front of her. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Meredith carefully set the file on the counter. "I have your mother's file. I thought…we could go over it together."

Lexie smiled and nodded even though her eyes filled with tears. "That'd be…good."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Alex is an ass!" Lexie yelled as she used the key Meredith had given her to open her sister's front door. "Seriously."

"Yeah," Cristina drawled from the door to the kitchen. "We know that already…but he's Alex."

Lexie shook her head and followed the other woman into the kitchen. "I need a drink. He told on George. He's an ass."

"What did he tell on George for?" Callie stared at her with dark, hard brown eyes.

Lexie swallowed and shook her head. "That he's a repeater. He told all the other interns that George has already been through this once."

"Well," the Latina woman sighed. "At least he didn't air my dirty marital laundry all over the hospital."

Cristina snorted and shoved a shot glass into Lexie's hand. The younger woman slammed it back and sat on one of the stools. "Where's Mer and Mark?" She asked after a look around.

The other two women shrugged. "Who cares?" Cristina asked.

Lexie slammed back another shot and eyed the Asian woman. "This is their house," she reminded.

Cristina shrugged again and pointed to the outline of a door on the wall. "That sides mine," she said. "Mark bought it and said I could move in whenever. So…whatever."

Callie eyed the proposed doorway speculatively. "So…you'll be right there but they'll still have their privacy and whatever."

"That's the plan," Cristina confirmed.

"Want a roommate?" Callie asked cautiously.

Cristina shrugged and poured them more alcohol. "Sure. But…you'll have to talk to Mark. It's his property."

Lexie giggled uncontrollably. The other two stared at her in consternation. "Oh, come on," she snorted at them. "Can either of you seriously look at Mark and Mer and think landlord?" Cristina and Callie joined her giggling.

Thirty minutes later Meredith and Mark stepped cautiously into their kitchen. The laughter and shouts were pretty loud. Mark stared at the three drunken women and sighed. "Looks like we've company again," he commented.

Meredith shrugged and nodded. "Well, at least it's not Izzie and George or something."

Mark brightened. "True. Cuz you know they'd be all mopey and shit. At least we get the fun ones."

Meredith nodded again and then walked to the island and drew the bottle of tequila towards herself. "What are we drinkin' too?"

"To forget that assholes exist," Callie said with a snort. "Especially ones that are nice guys."

"Or disappearing boy penises…penii…whatever," Cristina chimed in.

"Or tattletales," Lexie put in.

Mark pulled up a stool beside his wife and poured himself a scotch. "Right. So am I banished?"

"Fuck no," Cristina shook her head. "Sit there and look pretty."

"Cuz you're not an ass," Callie added.

"Even if you're not a nice guy," Lexie said. "I think you're a nice guy but…you're mean too. That's okay though cuz…you're nice."

Meredith giggled at them and sipped at her tequila. She had been looking forward to hanging out with Mark at home for a night but…this wasn't bad either. She leaned into his side and tilted her head up to kiss his lips. Not bad at all.


	6. The Heart of the Matter

**The Heart of the Matter**

**_A/N: I totally forgot that there was an episode with the same name as this story. Pretty cool though. Still…it feels kinda like a ripoff but whatever. Enjoy._**

Callie picked at the countertop and watched Meredith start the morning's pot of coffee. "Have you slept at all?" Meredith asked her quietly. Callie shook her head. "Do you work today?" Callie nodded. "Do you want me to…call you in sick?"

Callie shook her head again. "I…" her voice was nearly soundless with the lump that was stuck inside it. She cleared her throat. "I'm going to forgive him," she finally said. "I do forgive him. He messed up but…he's George and he still…makes my world stop."

Meredith sighed and nodded. "Okay," she said. "Well…I don't know what to say," she sat down beside the other woman and took Callie's hand in her own. "I'm here."

Callie slowly leaned over and laid her head on Meredith's shoulder. Her hand turned over and her fingers squeezed her friend's. "Thanks," she whispered.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"George is late," Meredith told Mark. "Rounds in ten minutes and I haven't seen him yet."

"Think Callie cut his dick off?" Mark asked with a smirk, leaned his back against the elevator wall and drew her to his chest. "I would've."

Meredith couldn't stop the small sound of amusement. "No," she shook her head and pressed her back against his chest. "She said she was going to forgive him."

Mark hummed in the back of his throat. "Would you?" He asked after a moment. "Would you forgive me?"

"There's a part of me that just wants to automatically say yes," she admitted softly. "Of course I would. But then…" she paused for a long moment and then turned in his arms so that she was staring up into his face. "George didn't just have sex with Izzie. He's…he thinks he's in love with her. And that…I don't know." She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know if…if it would be forgiveness. I'd still love you but…I don't know that I could live with that kind of hurt."

Mark rested his forehead against hers and sighed heavily. "Yeah, me too," he told her. "But…I…I think I'd try to find a way. Because…I'd want you to be happy…I think. Then again," his grin was sudden and wicked. "Maybe I'd try to talk you into one last roll in the hay to remind you why you married me."

Meredith let out a startled laugh and shook her head. "That's not why I married you, idiot."

Mark shrugged and captured her lips with his own. "Still a good line and it made you laugh," he told her when they came up for air. "Go find your interns, Dr. Sloan. We've got work."

Meredith pulled back and grinned at him. "Yeah. I'll see you after rounds. I'm with you…again. You have got to let me get some time in on other stuff too, you know?"

Mark pulled her to him again. "No," he said firmly. "We're newlyweds and I want to spend all of my time with my lovely new wife. Since we both have to work then that means that you'll be on my service until I get sick of you."

"Which will be when we're both…like a hundred and fifty," she chortled. "Fine. I'm still not picking plastics."

He grinned as she stepped off of the elevator. "You will," he told her. "It's the best."

Meredith rolled her eyes and turned her back to her husband. She squeaked when George nearly ran over her. "George!" She called as he raced away. "Rounds in…like five minutes. Don't be late!"

He waved a hand over his head. "Gotta find Izzie!" He yelled back to her.

"You're on scut if you miss rounds," Meredith warned him. "Seriously."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith set her cup of coffee on the counter and asked for Mark's charts for the day. She flipped open the first one and sighed. Hospice. She hated having to tell people that there was nothing more they could do for them. It was almost as bad as telling family members that their loved ones hadn't made it through surgery.

"Hospice and a mole removal," she sighed. "Oooh, fun day."

"Quit whining," Cristina growled and leaned on the counter beside her. "I'm stuck in the pit with my no nothing interns and smackheads and gangbangers."

"Seriously?" Meredith giggled. "Smackheads and gangbangers? And at least you have Lexie for an intern."

Cristina sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know…I have to wonder if we aren't doing her a bit of a disservice."

Meredith eyed her with a frown. "What do you mean?" She asked as she stacked the charts up and hugged them to her chest.

Cristina turned and leaned her elbows on the counter. She gave Meredith a long look. "Well," she said slowly. "I know Lexie was number one in her class. And she's super scary smart. But she's still an intern and we're…letting her do stuff and expecting her to know the answers and what happens when she doesn't. What happens when we ask her to do something and she doesn't know how to do it because she's never seen it done or read about it or whatever?"

Meredith set the charts down and nodded. "And the others are giving her grief because of us. They know she's the favorite. They're a bit easier on George because they know he's a repeater now but Lexie…she's supposed to be just like them. She isn't but she's supposed to be."

Cristina nodded. "Yeah. She's here to learn and we're not teaching her. We're…just assuming she already knows."

"And that's not fair to her or anyone else," Meredith nodded again. "Okay…so how do we go about fixing this?"

"You can be her sister," Cristina told her when she noticed Meredith's expression. "She's my intern and it's time I started treating her like it. Unless she's on your service then you can treat her however you want. Be her friend. Be her sister…just remember that when she's working with you that you're her boss and her teacher."

Meredith nodded again and then turned her head at a motion on the periphery of her vision. "I don't see any charts in your hands," she barked to her interns. She smirked as they scrambled for charts and then turned back to Cristina. "Just…don't spring it on her. You know? Tell her what and why first or…she'll be all resentful and pissy."

Cristina shoved at her shoulder. "Even I'm not that cruel," she snarked. "Seriously Mer."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Meredith," Alex called to her softly. "I need a favor."

Meredith kept one eye on her interns minus George who still hadn't shown up and the other studying the chart for the hospice patient. "What do you need?" She asked him warily.

"Take Norman for today…please?" Meredith took her gaze from the chart and from her interns and gave him her full attention. He looked away. "Look…I just…he's making me crazy and now he's on this acting like the other interns kick and he's trying to be cool and…he's just driving me nuts, Mer. Please?"

Meredith's eyes crinkled at the corners with her grin. "Ageist," she accused him.

Alex rolled his eyes at her. "Come on."

"Fine," Meredith finally nodded. "But only because I love you and you're going to buy me caramel lattes anytime I want for the next two weeks."

"Deal," Alex gave her a grin of relief. George charged past them. "What's with him?" Alex asked.

"George!" Meredith yelled. "Rounds!"

"Gotta find Izzie!" He shouted back.

Meredith rolled her eyes and huffed. "I have no idea."

Alex gave her a long look and shook his head. "You know exactly what's happening and you just aren't telling," he accused.

Meredith shrugged. "None of your business…none of mine either. It's not my fault that everyone seems to tell me everything. And then expects me to keep it to myself."

Alex chuckled. "We only expect it because you do, you know?"

Meredith sighed and nodded.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

_Why is Cris back to calling me Three? What did I do that pissed her off?—Lexie_

_Nothing. Dammit! She was supposed to explain this. Okay…you're an intern. You don't know everything and we forgot that for a bit. Inside the hospital we're your teachers and your bosses so…she's going to treat you exactly the same as she does the others as long as you're at work.—Mer_

_So she isn't angry with me? And you're both going to be…mean?—Lexie_

_She's angry, just not with you. And you're an intern so…you're fair game. I'm not your resident. I don't have to be mean to you…unless you're on my service but even then I won't. I'm the nice one.—Mer_

_Suuuure you are. Thanks for telling me about the intern thing.—Lexie_

_What are big sisters for?—Mer_

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

_What is up with Yang?—Der_

_Shepherd is an ass.—Cris_

_Why don't the two of you have a conversation instead of complaining to me about each other?—Mer_

_Cris and Shepherd are…arguing? Not sure if that's the right word but…it's close. Just thought you'd like to know.—Lexie_

_I already did.—Mer_

_Sorry?—Lexie_

_Nothing. Stupid doctors that should know better.—Mer_

_But she's being rude to your sister. And she's not teaching her.—Der_

_He's being too nice to Lexie. And he's listening to her like she knows what she's talking about. And he sent me to change dressings.—Cris_

_Talk to each other! Dammit! I'm trying to work! Go fight it out. Cris explain it to Derek. Derek use your damn head.—Mer_

_Lexie…I know what I said about you being an intern but…smack them both if they don't straighten up, okay? They're being stupid and you're the only one acting like an adult.—Mer_

_I'm not talking to her beyond a professional capacity. She's a bitch.—Der_

_I'm not talking to him. He's an ass.—Cris_

_Working. I'm working and I'm not talking to either one of you.—Mer_

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Dr. Sloan," Meredith picked her head up from the counter when the male voice called her name. "Are you Dr. Sloan?"

Meredith nodded. "That's me. Well, I'm one of them. And you're Dr. Norman Shales, right?"

The older man smiled happily at her. "Yes, I am. Dr. Karev said I was working with you today."

Meredith nodded again. "Yep." She passed him two charts. "Read while we walk. We need to get the other Dr. Sloan to sign off on these and then we'll be set."

Norman opened the top file and followed her. "The other Dr. Sloan?" He asked. "Any relation or just coincidence?"

Meredith gave him a sly smile. "Not by blood," she said.

Norman nodded and turned his attention back to the chart. "So…" he looked up and noticed that she'd continued to walk straight to a good looking man by another nurse's desk. "Dr. Sloan?" He asked quietly as he followed after her.

She either didn't hear him or she ignored him. She simply walked up to the other doctor, grabbed him by the collar and pulled his lips to hers. Norman watched with wide eyes as Dr. Sloan fell into the kiss that she had initiated for long minutes. Finally she let go and pulled away. "Thanks husband," she murmured to the man. "I needed that."

The man blinked and nodded. "Anytime, wife. But…uh…why did you need that?" His hand came up and played along the skin at the back of her neck.

"Because Derek is an ass, Cris is a bitch, Lexie is an intern, George is being weird, Izzie's invisible, Alex is whiny and Callie's…well, sad." She shrugged when she finished this litany and bit at her lip. "So…I just needed that."

The man nodded. "Anytime," he turned his gaze to the older gentleman hovering a bit away from them.

Dr. Sloan nodded her head. "Yeah, anyway…" she turned to Norman. "Mark this is Dr. Norman Shales, Alex's intern. He's with me today. Dr. Shales this is Dr. Sloan. He's the head of Plastics and my husband."

Norman grinned at Mark. "I know, right, it's like seriously you're an intern? But it's seriously true. Seriously." He paused as Mark shot him a strange look. "Seriously," he repeated.

Mark gave him a polite smile and turned back to Meredith. "You read the files?" Meredith rolled her eyes at him and nodded. He took the files from Norman and looked them over quickly before pulling a pen from his lab coat pocket and signing them. "Good. See you for lunch?" He handed the files back to Norman without taking his eyes from his wife.

"Yeah, if I get a few minutes I'll run over to the deli." She shot a look over to Norman and shrugged. "I'll text you if I can't."

"All right then," Mark grinned at her, pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. "And I needed that," he chuckled when he let her go.

She watched him walk away with a small smile playing about her lips. Finally she drew in a breath and looked over to Norman. "Well, let's go."

"Wasn't that the guy you girls call…McDreamy or McSexy…what is it?" He shook his head with a small grin.

Meredith shook her head with a sigh. "I just call him husband," she told Norman with a shrug. "Or Mark or Dr. Sloan…depending on the situation. So…what have we got," she led him down the hallway towards the patient rooms.

Norman flipped open one of the charts as they walked. "This one's being released to hospice," he stated and then glanced over at her. "What's that mean?"

Meredith sighed. "It means there is nothing more we can do for them," she explained.

Norman stopped and stared at her. "You mean we have to tell someone that they're going to die?" He asked her in a shocked voice.

Meredith nodded. "Yeah not my favorite part of the job either but…normally, in a case like this one the patient already knows. They know they're dying and that there isn't anything we can do medically to help them so…" she shrugged helplessly. "Which room?"

"So…how do we tell her?" Norman asked.

"Be polite and detached but not cold," Meredith said.

Norman stared at her again. "How can you be detached but not cold?" He asked in a confused voice.

"You show that you care without actually allowing yourself to care," she told him. "I know it vague but…if you get emotional then they get emotional and scared and then it just gets messy."

"Meredith!" Two voices called out to her as she and Norman made their way across the catwalk. Meredith looked up and sighed as Derek and Cristina came to a stop in front of her. "Your sister hit me," they said in unison.

Meredith glared at them both. "Good. I told her too." She crossed her arms over her chest and continued to glare at them as they sputtered. "You're both acting like children," she accused them. "And I am trying to work. So go do your halo thing and stop putting my sister in the middle of your petty squabbles." She grabbed Norman's elbow and pulled him away from the bickering duo. "Seriously," she muttered under her breath.

"I'm glad I'm not the favorite," Norman muttered. "Lexie doesn't have it easy, does she?"

Meredith shrugged. "She'll be fine. Shepherd and Cris are just having a pissing contest. You get used to it."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Mark," Derek called out to his friend. "You have got to talk to your wife about her lack of respect for the attendings."

Mark looked up and smirked at him. "No way, Der. I like having my spleen exactly where it is, thank you."

Derek scowled at him and crossed his arms over his chest. "She's rude and disrespectful and I should write her up for her attitude."

Mark shook his head and glared at him. "You won't," he said. "You're just pissed that she won't take your side over Cris'. And you're even angrier because you know that if you just listened to Cris then you'd have to agree with her."

Derek threw his arms up and turned with a low growl. "I can't talk to you when you're being reasonable."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Norman took the lead as they entered Mrs. Bitzer's room. "Mrs. Bitzer," he said slowly. "We're very sorry but…there's really nothing more that can be done to help you. We'll be moving you to hospice today. I'm very sorry. According to our—"

Meredith suddenly grabbed his elbow and pulled him back. "Norman," she growled. "Stop. I'm very sorry, Mrs. Bitzer—"

"I'm going to die?" The woman in the bed wailed. "You're telling me that I'm going to die?"

"No," Meredith cut across her sobs. "Dr. Shales has the wrong chart—"

"But he said my name!" The woman shouted. "I'm going to die!"

Meredith sighed and moved to stand beside the distraught woman. "No ma'am, not today." She turned her head and glared at Norman before pulling the charts from his hands. She found Mrs. Bitzer's and opened it. "You see here?" She asked and pointed to a line in the chart. "Your surgery went well and you're labs have come back clean. We'll be releasing you later this afternoon."

"Really?" Mrs. Bitzer asked her with a hopeful look at the younger woman. "But…why did…?"

Meredith patted her shoulder. "I'm truly very sorry for the mix-up, Mrs. Bitzer," she said. "Dr. Shales is new and I'm training him. I didn't double check the room number. I should have and I apologize for not properly doing my job."

Mrs. Bitzer patted her hand and smiled. "It's all right. I understand. Mistakes happen. I'm just glad you caught it."

"Me too," Meredith shot another glare at Norman as the man slowly backed out of the room. "Anyway, as I said, you're going to be fine and we'll be discharging you later today." She pulled out a pen and scribbled her pager number on a scrap of paper. "This is my pager number," she explained as she handed it over. "If you need anything for the rest of the day have one of the nurses page me and I'll come take care of it." She sighed and shook her head. "Once again, I am very sorry."

Mrs. Bitzer nodded. "Do you know how long it will be until I can go home?" She asked hesitantly.

Meredith consulted the chart again. "Shouldn't be more than a few hours," she replied. "Dr. Sloan has already signed off. A bit of paperwork left and then you're off. I'll leave the insurance forms here with you, just hit the buzzer for the nurse when you're finished."

"Thank you," Mrs. Bitzer said.

Meredith patted her shoulder one last time and stepped from the room. She grabbed Norman's elbow and dragged him further down the hall. "Always double check," she told him in a low voice. "Always."

Norman nodded ashamedly. "That could have gone very badly, couldn't it?"

Meredith sighed. "Yes. And now we have to go tell Mr. Hansen that he is dying."

Norman sighed too and nodded again. "Right."

"I'll just take the lead for this one all right?" Meredith said. "You watch and learn. And don't forget to double check. Everything. Before you talk to a patient be sure you have everything in order. Everything."

Norman nodded again. "Got it."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

_Izzie slept with George?!—Alex_

_That's the story anyway.—Mer_

_But…he's…what?—Alex_

_Tunnels. Now.—Mer_

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"She slept with O'Malley," Alex repeated in a depressed tone. "Seriously."

Meredith sat beside him on the bed by the windows in the tunnels where they normally gathered. "Yeah." She wrapped an arm over his shoulders and leaned her head against his. "She did."

Alex leaned back against her and sighed. "She's fallen in love with him, hasn't she?" He asked lowly. "I…I always thought…She asked me to give her time after Denny died and I gave it to her. But…I…"

Meredith squeezed him in a half hug. "Yeah. I know."

The pair sat in silence for long moments until Alex straightened and shook her off. "So…is Callie really going to kick her ass in the cafeteria?"

Meredith snorted. "No," she denied easily. "Callie just wants to talk to her. Probably yell a little but mostly just…clear the air. She's not divorcing George, you know. She says she's forgiven him. That he made a mistake."

Now Alex snorted. "I don't think that's true. She might say it and she might even believe that she's trying to forgive him but…they hurt her. And the fact that they both think it's love…yeah, he's not going to let her forgive him."

Meredith nodded against his shoulder. "You know…I wonder sometimes…"

"What do you wonder?" He asked and turned his head to look over at her.

"What a peaceful week would be like. A week or so without all the drama."

Alex laughed. "Me too, cauliflower. Me too."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Callie!" Mark called out as he raced after her towards the cafeteria. "Wait a minute!" Callie stopped walking and Mark breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"What's up?" Callie asked him.

Mark didn't answer; he simply took her elbow and pulled her towards the elevators. "Come on. Angel brought sandwiches to my office."

Callie balked and tried to pull away from him but he held on to her with an iron grip. "I'm supposed to be meeting Stevens," she claimed. "I need…to talk to her."

"About that…" Mark continued to pull her along and then kept hold of her after he'd push the button. "Stevens thinks you're going there to beat her up. Most of the hospital is hanging out in the cafeteria to watch."

"What?" Callie nearly shrieked. He pulled her onto the elevator and caught her when she stumbled. "She what?"

"Yeah," Mark reached around her and pressed the button for the office floor. "So Angel went and got some sandwiches from the deli and there's a group of us congregating in my office for lunch."

Callie covered her face with her hands and took a few deep breaths. "I don't want to fight Stevens," she finally said lowly. "I just…I don't want her around my husband. I can't forgive him if he…she's shoving this in my face."

Mark pulled her hands from her face and tilted her chin up. Icy blue eyes locked with sad brown. "I don't think she's trying to," he told her softly. "I hate saying that but…she thinks he's worth fighting for."

Callie blinked and her eyes filled with tears. "And I don't. That's the whole problem right there."

"I happen to agree with you." He shrugged as the doors slid open and took her elbow in his hand again. He led her out of the elevator and towards his office. "I like George. He's a good guy but…he's not worth all of this. And he made you cry and I like you better anyway. He's…annoying lately. I know a lot of it is his dad dying and all that stuff but…he's annoying. So," he paused in front of his office door. "We're going to eat deli sandwiches with Alex, Lexie and Angel and we're all going to bitch about whatever and then we'll go back to work and maybe tomorrow…things will be better."

She nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder for a moment. "But what if they aren't better tomorrow?"

Mark wrapped an arm over her shoulders and pushed open the door. "Then we do this again and again until they are. We're here for you, Callie and we're not going anywhere."

"Well he's not," Meredith said grumpily as the pair came and sat in the seats she and Alex had set up around Mark's desk. "I might be going to jail for murder."

"And I'll be in the cell right beside her," Lexie claimed darkly. "Stupid brainless brain doctors. And idiot residents that have too much pride to actually try to talk to the stupid brainless brain doctors."

"Shepherd and Cris," Callie asked with a tint of amusement. "Yeah the whole hospital is talking about those two. I thought they were going to go at it in the cafeteria. Not me and…"

Alex took a huge bite of his sandwich. "Ah ws ckin' oo, rlin," he said through his mouthful.

"Gross," Lexie smacked his shoulder. "Swallow first!"

Alex chewed and swallowed. "I said, I was backing Callie," he finally said clearly. "And don't hit me. I'll write you up or something."

Lexie scowled at him. "You can't," she said with confidence. "In here I am not an intern. In here I'm only me and I get to bitch with impunity and treat you idiot residents like my friends and family instead of my bosses."

Callie sat back and listened to the four of them chatter at each other and felt her heart become just a bit lighter. She might be losing George. She might have a failure of a marriage. But she still had friends. They weren't going to abandon her simply because George was their friend first. They would stick by her and give her a place to mourn away from the prying eyes of the hospital.

"You know…" she said suddenly. "I think I'm going to take a few days off and go see Addie. Get away from here for a little bit and get some perspective."

Meredith grinned over at her. "That's a good idea," she nodded. "She'll be glad of the company. She says LA is great but she misses us too."

Callie nodded. "All right then. I'll give her a call and then…go get a way for a little bit. It'll be fun. Soak up some sun, drink margaritas on the beach, watch the surfers. Yeah."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Heading home?" Derek asked her as she stepped onto the elevator hours later. "It's been a crazy day, hasn't it?"

Meredith sneered at him. "And a lot of my crazy day was caused by you," she stated in a hard voice. "You have got to stop being…stupid, Derek. Seriously. Lexie is amazing, yes. She's super smart and everything but…she's only just starting out. She doesn't know everything and Cristina's just as smart and has more experience. She isn't selfish and you know it."

Derek sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Mark already gave me this speech," he said.

Meredith poked her finger into his chest. "Yeah I know," she poked again. "And you didn't listen. So listen up this time. Lexie is just an intern."

Derek grabbed her hand to stop the poking and shot her an exasperated look. "Okay, I got it this time."

Meredith raised an eyebrow at him. "Really this time or are you only saying that so that I'll stop poking at you?"

Derek laughed and let go of her hand. "Both. I promise. I got the memo or whatever. Lexie's just an intern and she's only learning."

Meredith nodded. "Okay." She turned to face the front of the elevator. "You staying over tonight or you going home?"

"Home," Derek said decisively. "I have tomorrow off so I'm going fishing in my pond. And I'm going to have quiet and solitude and be alone…I think I need a dog."

Meredith giggled and stepped off the elevator beside him. "See ya later, Derek," she said and walked over to meet Mark at the doors. "Have a good day off."

"I intend to," he called to her. "See ya."

Mark and Meredith waved as they headed to Mark's car. "Alone at last," he breathed as he started the engine.

Meredith giggled again. "Yep. Lexie went home. Alex went home. Cris doesn't start moving in until tomorrow and Callie's talking to George." She threaded her fingers through his and grinned. "So…married sex?"

Mark barked out a laughed and tightened his fingers around hers. "We do that all the time," he reminded her.

"True," she nodded. "So…dirty married sex?"


	7. Haunt You Everyday

**Disclaimer: Still not mine. I've said it before. If they were then Mark and Lexie at the very least would have lived.**

**A/N: Told you this story wasn't abandoned. I'm back and I'm finally writing again. Go me. Let me know what you think.**

**Haunt You Everyday**

He turned over and reached for her. His hands met empty air and cold sheets. Confused his eyes blinked open and he stared at the empty bed beside him. "Angel?" He said softly into the darkness of their bedroom.

There was no answer.

Confused and a bit worried though he couldn't say why Mark sat up and turned on the lamp beside the bed. Meredith was nowhere in sight. Sighing to himself he stood up and pulled on a pair of sweat pants from the floor. A glance at the clock told him that it was way too freaking early and neither of them had to be in until six.

"Angel?" He called again as he stomped down the stairs. There was still no answer but he finally spotted her sitting on the couch staring at something on the coffee table. "Whatcha doin'?"

Meredith slanted him a glance and huffed irritably. "She's haunting me," she claimed and waved a hand towards the coffee table.

Mark stepped further into the room and rounded the couch. He stared down at the urn on the coffee table and frowned. "Your mother is haunting you?" He murmured and sat beside her.

Meredith turned to him and her own frown was equal parts irritated and sad. "She keeps sending me freaky dreams and I can't get her out of my head. I keep hearing her. Everything she ever said to me and about me and…she's haunting me."

Mark wrapped an arm over her shoulders. "Your mother is giving you nightmares and you didn't think waking me up was a good idea?" He asked her in a low voice.

Meredith let out a huff of air and leaned against him. "I'm supposed to tell you that my dead mother is invading my dreams? I'm not crazy. I just…I'm finally happy. You're happy. We're happy together and she's trying to ruin it."

"Ah Angel," he breathed out and buried his nose in her hair. "I'm sorry. And I don't think you're crazy. If anyone could come back from the dead simply to haunt you it'd be her." He pulled her tighter to his side and stared at the urn. "So," he said after a few moments. "What are we going to do with her?"

Meredith shook her head against his shoulder. "I don't have a freakin' clue and I hate Halloween. Seriously."

Mark nodded. "Yeah."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"What are you doing?" He asked her in shock hours later. "Is that…? Angel…why are you putting your mother's ashes in a plastic baggie?"

She turned her head just a bit and glared at him. "I am not going to let her ruin this loft for me. I'm sick of her haunting me and I'm sick of her ruining every single good thing in my life. So…she's going to work with me and I'll figure out what to do with her later. But she is not staying here."

Mark nodded and filled her mug for her. "Okay," he agreed with a shrug. "I get it." He handed her the mug and kissed her cheek. "I have to run by the house. Alex says if I don't come rescue him from Izzie's madness he's likely to hurt her."

Meredith snickered. "Izzie called me while you were in the shower and says that I need to come tell Alex that carving pumpkins is a requirement of living in the house."

Mark shook his head with a small smirk. "And you're going to tell him…?"

Meredith wrapped her arms around his neck. "Not a damn thing. Halloween is for kids." She paused and blinked at him. "How do you feel about trick or treating by the way?"

Mark cocked his head to the side. "Who doesn't like free candy?" He asked her cautiously. "Why?"

Meredith's eyes skittered away from his and caught on one of the buttons on his shirt. "So…we'll take our kids out? Dress them up and everything?"

Mark's heart clenched as he realized why she was asking and he tightened his arms around her waist. "Yep," he said with a cheerfulness that he didn't actually feel. Damn Ellis Grey. "And then we'll steal all the good candy."

Meredith's happy laugh filled the kitchen. "I call dibs on the chocolate," she claimed and pulled back to look up at him. "But I'll share it with you if you're nice."

Unable to resist that smiling mouth and sparkling green eyes he bent his head and laid his lips over hers. "It's a deal," he murmured when he finally released her. He swept up his coffee from the island and threaded his arm around her waist. "Now we really need to go or you're going to be late."

She grinned, nodded, swept up the baggie containing her mother's ashes and let him lead her out to the car.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith cast a glance over her shoulder as Cristina burst into the locker room. She ignored Izzie and Alex and Heron as they stared at her and turned back to her locker. Cris would understand.

"What are we looking at?" Cristina asked after a few seconds of silence. She watched Meredith take a baggie from her bag and shove it into her locker.

"Meredith put her mother in a baggie and brought her to work," Izzie informed her in a strange voice.

Cristina felt her lips tugging up in a smirk that she quick hid behind a cup of coffee at Izzie's tone. "Appropriate," she nodded to Meredith's back. "It'd be the day for it."

"I had to get her out of the loft," Meredith glared over at Izzie and shrugged at Cristina. "She was haunting me."

Alex gave a small shudder. "And now she's haunting all of us," he commented. He didn't find it strange that Meredith's mom was still causing problems months after her death. But he was not happy about her being in their locker room. That was…freaky. Seriously, it was freaking him out.

Cristina sighed and stepped over to Meredith. Alex scowled at the back of Izzie's head for her snicker at him. "I'm putting her to rest," Meredith tried to explain to Cristina quietly.

"Meredith is cleansing," Heron put in with her chirpy voice. There was something like satisfaction and pride under it but Cristina ignored her as usual. That woman was waaaaay too perky. "In tribal culture, when one wants to cleanse the past, one cuts off all of one's hair and buries it in the earth." Heron stood up and leaned around Cristina to address Meredith. "You might try that too."

Izzie nodded seriously, Alex scoffed and Cristina rolled her eyes. "Only if I want a divorce in my future," Meredith said around Cristina's shoulder. "That one…not happening. I'll figure out what to do with her later. Right now, we have work people."

"Okay listen up," Callie said in a tired voice as she entered the locker room. "Today is a holiday which means the pit will be overrun." Meredith grabbed her lab coat and turned to face Callie. "We've got the usual drunken stupidity—"

"And then you've got Seattle's annual chainsaw pumpkin carving contest," Bailey said from beside Callie. The woman had a disturbing gleam to her eyes and Meredith tried really hard not to take a step away in case the insanity was infectious. "I love this city."

Callie shook her head at the other woman even as her lips tilted upwards. "Stay on your toes, stay on top of your interns, okay?" Callie instructed.

"So we should round before heading to the pit or…?" Izzie questioned. Meredith rolled her eyes; that was a stupid question.

Callie held up a hand and refused to look at the other woman. "You should direct your questions to Dr. Bailey, Stevens," she said in a cold tone.

Cristina looked up with a confused expression. "We're directing our questions to Dr. Bailey, now?"

Callie smiled and shook her head. If her smile seemed a bit brittle no one said anything. "Not you, just Stevens."

Bailey turned her head and stared at the taller woman. "Why is Stevens directing her questions to me and not you?" She asked.

Callie's smile faded. "Because she's been sleeping with my husband, not yours," she told Bailey in a monotone. Bailey's expression showed shock and understanding all at once and everyone stopped moving. Callie's brittle smile returned and she nodded to everyone. "All righty then. Have a good day." She turned and fled the room before the oppressive silence became too much.

Everyone turned to regard Izzie with expressions ranging from confusion to disgust. Izzie wouldn't meet anyone's eyes as she gave an embarrassed chuckle and then fled out the opposite door.

Cristina stared after her for a moment and then turned to Meredith. "Okay," she said slowly. "This is even more disturbing than your bagful of mommy."

Meredith nodded.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Oh!" Meredith exclaimed as she turned the corner and slammed into Derek. "Sorry! Sorry."

Derek tried to catch the falling papers and baggie that Meredith had been carrying but they clattered to the floor. "No, I'm sorry," he told her with a smile and then raised an eyebrow at the bag of ashes. "Okay…what is that?" He asked.

Meredith crouched down on the floor and shook her head with a frown. "My mother," she said with a shrug and started trying to scoop the spilled ashes back in the bag. "She was haunting me and I didn't want her at the loft anymore so I brought her here until I can figure out how to put her to rest. I had her in my cubby but she was freaking people out. So I'm going to take her out to the car…You don't think that's disrespectful, do you?"

"Mer," Derek sighed and shook his head. "I don't…why?" He leaned down beside her and helped scoop the ashes into the bag. "Just…"

"I have to deal with her," Meredith told him in a small voice. "I can't just keep her shoved in the back of our closet anymore but I don't know how to put her to rest. And so I brought her here until I can get some inspiration but it's not happening and…anyway…cubby or car?"

Derek looked up from the floor and into her eyes. "You're asking me if I think you should keep your mom's ashes in your cubby or your car and you don't find that a bit…I don't know…strange? Why not keep them in Mark's office?"

Meredith shot him a mild glare. "Haunting, remember? I'd rather she not haunt the one place I can sleep. Though once I put her to rest then maybe I can sleep at home again. I hope. And it's not that strange," she eyed his raised brow. "Okay, it's a little strange but I have no idea what to do with her and I can't ask Mark because…just because."

"Because Mark hated her more than he's ever hated anyone else in his entire life," Derek clarified with a small smirk. He dusted the last of Ellis' ashes off of his ID and handed the bag to Meredith. "I have no idea what you should do with your mom but you can't keep walking around with her."

Meredith took the bag from him with a scowl. "I know that," she hissed at him.

"Are those really your mom's ashes," a young male voice asked from beside them.

Meredith and Derek turned to him. "It's strange, right?" Derek asked him. "It's strange."

Meredith huffed at him with a glare and then turned back to the boy. "Are you lost?" She asked him with a polite smile.

The boy immediately shook his head. "No, my mom works in the cafeteria," he paused and then seemed to steel himself. "And she said I could come up here and look for Dr. Sloan…do you know him?"

Derek smirked at Meredith again. "He means Mark, Der, not me and you know it." Meredith told him. "Can you take him?"

Derek nodded easily and climbed to his feet. "You take care of her, all right?" He motioned to the bag of ashes.

Meredith rolled her eyes but nodded as Derek led the boy off to find Mark.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Good morning," Mark greeted Olivia with a smile as he passed over a chart.

"Morning Dr. Sloan," Olivia returned and took the chart. "How's married life?" Another of the nurse's, one of the newer ones, came and stood at her shoulder with an eager smile.

"Perfect," Mark grinned. "Life is just perfect."

"Except for the fact that your wife is running around the hospital carrying her mother's ashes in a plastic baggie," the new nurse told him with a smirk. "The little men in the white coats should be here soon."

Mark gave her a scowl and turned his attention to Olivia who was sighing and shaking her head at the other woman. "Could I get the chart for room 2468?" He asked her in a cold tone.

Olivia passed over the chart and dragged the other nurse away. "You are not going to pry him away from Dr. Sloan that way…or any other way either," he heard her tell the new nurse. "He loves her. Get it?"

Mark tuned them out and leaned back against the counter to study the chart. Olivia would set the new nurse straight. He looked up as Derek came to a stop in front of him. "Oh, man, you will not believe what just happened," he said with a small shake of his head.

Derek put his curiosity aside in favor of something he felt far more important and humorous, at least to him. "There is a, uh, kid looking for you," he informed his brother and hoped his face showed only professional concern.

"What?" Mark asked, confused.

A young dark haired boy poked his head out from behind Derek's back. He studied Mark for an instant and then his face creased into a confused smile. "Daddy?" He asked in a breathless and hopeful tone.

Mark's eyebrows rose and his jaw dropped. "What?" He finally stuttered out in shock.

The boy's eyes cut over to Derek and he grinned before chuckling. Derek straightened out the twenty dollar bill that had been crumpled in his hand and grinned. He handed it to the kid with a laugh of his own. "Nicely done," he complimented.

"Thanks," the kid answered as he pocketed the bill.

Mark groaned even as he let out a sigh of relief. Meredith might have decided that they could have a baby but he didn't think she was quite ready to be a mom to a ten or eleven year old boy yet. "I will be getting you back for that," he warned Derek in the sense of fairness.

Derek turned and headed away from the pair. "Looking forward to it," he commented over his shoulder. Nothing Mark could do would ever wipe the vision of his expression from Derek's mind, no matter what his revenge was.

Mark looked back at the kid and shrugged a bit.

"You're not my father," the kid stated. He took a step closer to Mark and looked up with big, hope filled eyes. "But I am hoping you'll build me some ears."

Mark stared down at the kid. This was going to take some doing but he was fairly sure he'd figure something out…or Meredith would.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith opened the door to Mark's office and smiled happily. "You found him," she said unnecessarily to the boy.

Mark half turned from the boy and looked over at his wife. "You two know each other?" He asked her. "Do you know his parents?" He gave half a thought to tricking her as Derek had him but an image of her staring at the urn early this morning flitted through his mind and he discarded the idea of playing a prank on her. It wouldn't go over very well today.

Meredith stepped farther into the office and closed the door. She stepped lightly across the carpet and leaned up to kiss Mark's cheek. "Yes," she answered. "His mother works in the cafeteria." She stared down at the numerous papers scattered on the desk. "What's all this?"

"It's letters from the kids in my class," the kid answered quickly.

"Letters to me," Mark clarified as he sat down. Meredith plucked one up and read through it quickly. "He has the internal structure to hear," Mark continued. "He just doesn't have a canal or the external structure." He passed an x-ray up to Meredith. She held it up to the light and studied it.

The boy sank back in the chair. "So I thought if I came in with my letters, Dr. Sloan might feel sorry for me and do the surgery for free." His eyes came up and locked on Mark's face with a mix of hope and despair.

Mark looked away. He would love to do the surgery for free. Cases like this were why he'd become a plastic surgeon in the first place but…he didn't quite have the reputation needed to garner the rest of the team they needed. "Um…" he stalled.

"Well," Meredith broke in. "Shouldn't be too hard to get everyone needed to agree," she gave the kid an appraising look. "Especially if you and I go ask them. You can do that puppy dog look you're giving my husband right now and I have the famous dead mommy. C'mon, kid, let's go get you some ears."

"You manage it and I'm all yours," Mark promised. He stood up, leaned over to kiss Meredith, nodded to the boy and headed for the door. "Lunch?" He tossed over his shoulder.

"Don't we always?" Meredith returned.

"Just checking," Mark tossed her a smile. "You might be tired of me."

"Never happen."

The kid groaned loudly. "Gross," he gagged. "Married people are weird."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Meredith led the kid up to the chief's office. "We'll start at the top and work our way down. If the chief agrees then it'll be easier to get the others to agree," she explained.

"That makes sense," he nodded. "If the chief clears the O.R. first then everything else is just volunteering their time, right?"

"Exactly," Meredith nodded. She paused in front of the chief's office. "You wait here for a minute. I'll leave the door open and you can pop in when you think it'll help your case the most."

The kid nodded and stood to the side of the door. "Ready when you are," he told her.

Meredith nodded back, took a deep breath and pushed the door open. "Chief?" She asked in a calm tone. "You have a minute?"

Richard looked up and smiled. "I always have a minute for you, Meredith," he told her expansively. "What did you need?"

Meredith stepped farther into the room and placed her hands on the back of one of the chairs facing Webber's desk. "I have an earless boy," she told him.

Richard stared at her for a moment in confusion. That had been completely random and not at all what he'd been expecting. "I'm sorry?" He finally asked her.

"Mark has agreed to build him some ears, pro bono," Meredith said quickly hoping to forestall any objections before they had a chance to start. "If you will donate the O.R. and all the equipment—"

Richard had started shaking his head halfway through her explanation. "I'm sorry, Meredith. Our pro bono slate is full." Meredith motioned to the boy hiding at the door. "There are protocols to be followed," the kid quietly entered the office holding a bag. "All sorts of red tape—" Richard continued without seeing him.

The kid approached the desk and held out the bag. "Trick or treat," he interrupted with the puppy dog eyes and a pleading expression.

Meredith grinned down at the boy as Richard stopped talking and stared at them. "Get it," Meredith asked. "He's trick or treating…for ears." She turned her own pleading expression to Richard.

Richard turned his gaze away from the pair and down to his desk. He hated saying no but he really had very little choice. "Gre—Sloan…" he corrected himself before she could and knew that he was going to give in.

"You know, my mother," Meredith said quickly. "She was big on pro bono surgeries," she reminded him.

"Does it count as manipulation if I know I'm being manipulated," Richard mused aloud with a sigh. "O.R. two is free at six p.m."

Meredith grinned at him. "Thank you," the kid said politely as Meredith ushered him out of the office. Richard waved them off with a faint shake of his head and a small smile. Meredith was one hell of a woman. Different from her mother and probably a better person. It still shocked him to think that the differences between the two were probably Mark's doing more than anyone else's. He let Meredith be Meredith and didn't try to change her in any way. Webber watched the pair walk away and wondered if he could have had anything like that with Adele or Ellis.

He thought probably not. Mark and Meredith had something special. Something rare. And he was happy for the girl that had almost been his daughter. Even if he was also a little jealous.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Hey," Mark greeted Callie as he entered the E.R. "What's up? And why are you here? I thought you were going to L.A. for a few days."

Callie shrugged. "I have no idea. Bailey paged me. I am going to L.A., day after tomorrow."

Mark nodded. "Oh. Good. You'll have fun. Now we just have to figure out what Bailey wants with us."

"We have a man that tried to amputate his own foot with a chainsaw," Bailey said from behind them. "You two come take a look and see what you can do."

"He what?" Mark asked even as he and Callie followed Bailey to the trauma room the man was in.

"He came into the clinic earlier saying that his foot wasn't his," Bailey shrugged. "I called psych. They prescribed anti-anxiety drugs and we released him. But he didn't leave. He got hold of a chainsaw from one of the pumpkin carvers and went to town on his own foot."

"Seriously," Mark asked and then clammed up at her glare. "Right. Okay." He nodded. "I am a professional."

"And if you forget, Bailey will remind you," Callie whispered. "With a good smack to the back of the head."

"And don't you forget that," Bailey smirked at them both. "Now be…nice." She instructed as she opened the doors.

Callie and Mark shared a look and a roll of their eyes before following Bailey into the room. They buried everything they were thinking and feeling and put on their doctor's faces…well, as much as either of them ever did anyway.

They gloved up and put on the gowns that the nurses held out for them and set to work. "The tibial nerve is shot," Mark remarked a few moments later. "There's nothing salvageable here."

Callie shook her head in agreement. "Completely mangled." She held some of the skin between the forceps so they could have a better look. "I can't believe he held that saw to his leg long enough—" She turned her head to look at Bailey. "Was he high?"

Bailey shook her head. "No, I just gave him some morphine for the pain, but the tox screen was clear before that."

"Unbelievable," Callie remarked in an awed tone. She drew in a breath. "All right, I'll finish the job." She turned her gaze to Cristina. "Yang, go ahead and prep him for a complete amputation."

The man in the bed looked up at her with a smile of relief. "Thank you," he told her happily. Callie gave him a distracted smile. "Thank you so much."

Bailey shook her head at him with a frown and then turned away. She caught sight of Norman leaning heavily on one of the tray tables and stepped over to him. "You okay?" She asked him quietly.

Norman took his hand from his head and Mark tuned the pair out as he started to shed his gear. He tossed the gloves in the hamper and pulled his phone from his pocket. He wanted to find out how the trick or treating was going.

_How's it going? -Mark_

_Fine. You seen Bailey? -Mer_

Callie cleared her throat and threw her gloves into the waste container Mark was standing in front of.

"Gotta love Halloween," he smirked as he typed on his phone. "When all the crazies come out to play." He hit send and then lifted his eyes to Callie.

Callie rolled her eyes and untied her smock. "I kinda understand," she informed him. "I can get that you wake up one day and your life doesn't feel like your own."

Mark's phone pinged but he ignored it for the moment and placed a hand on Callie's shoulder. "I know," he said simply with a squeeze.

Callie shook her head, patted his hand and then turned away. "I said til death do us part," she murmured. "In a church. It meant something…and now…I don't understand how this is my life." She turned to leave.

"I recommend sunshine, surfers and Addie, for healing," Mark called to her. "Seriously…your mini vacation will help…and if it doesn't we'll be waiting when you get back with friendship and open arms and soft shoulders."

Callie turned around and stared at him for a long moment. "Your shoulders are anything but soft Sloan…still I'll take it." She turned back around and left before he could see the grateful tears welling in her eyes. Sometimes…her friends were awesome.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

The doors opened and she took a step out. The boy followed her and stopped abruptly when she did. "Hunh," she grunted and stepped to the side to lean against the wall with a small smirk to watch the show at the top of the stairs. "He's gonna be so pissed when he finds out what's going on," she told the kid quietly. "Mark's revenge isn't nearly as subtle as he thought it would be."

The kid looked around and spotted Derek talking to another doctor. A female doctor. A perky female doctor. "Revenge?" He asked with a hint of confusion.

Meredith nodded and clasped the kid's shoulder. "For making him think you were his kid," she explained. "Mark dropped a hint to one of the biggest gossips in the hospital that Der was single and looking…again. Though how they didn't already know he was single is anyone's guess."

The kid sighed and shook his head. "Grown-ups are oblivious," he told her seriously. "To nearly everything. It's a stupid revenge though. He's going to get phone numbers and looks and all that weird mushy stuff but he's an adult so he'll like it or whatever."

Meredith chuckled a bit. "Not Der," she said. "He's…shy, I guess. And oblivious. Mostly. Anyway, he'll be all embarrassed and freaked out when he finally catches on," she shrugged philosophically. "Anyway, let's get down to the clinic. Bailey should be there by now."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"How we going to do this one?" The kid inquired as they stepped from the elevator and headed for the clinic.

Meredith stopped abruptly at the doors to the clinic and stared down at him for a moment. "Me first. Again. And then…" She paused and frowned. "Do you have a name, by the way? I keep forgetting to ask and I can't keep calling you kid."

The kid looked up at her, his eyes glinting with humor. "I don't see why not," he responded with a smirk. "But my name's Ryan."

Meredith nodded. "I like that name. Anyway, Bailey's hard but she's a pushover too."

Ryan wrinkled his nose at her in confusion. "How can you be both?"

Meredith grinned. "She likes kids. And she's a mom. A good mom. So she'll help us."

"Okay," he nodded and hung back by the doors while Meredith made her way to the desk. He really hoped she was right. Even if they couldn't help him the fact that Meredith was trying so hard made this the best Halloween he'd ever had.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Dr. Bailey?" Meredith alerted her in a soft voice to her presence. One could never tell if Bailey was in the mood to be interrupted.

The older woman looked up sharply with a frown. "Sloan?" She let her voice trail off hoping Meredith would get the hint and go away.

Meredith swallowed a bit and then squared her shoulders. "I'm asking for your assistance in very good cause."

Bailey leaned back in her seat and stared at Meredith. She recognized that Mer wasn't going to be put off by her unwelcoming attitude. "Cause?"

"Mark's agreed to build a pair of ears for a young boy. Pro bono. And you're the best general surgeon and we need your help." Meredith laid her cards on the table and prayed for the best.

Bailey sighed. "I have a mountain of paperwork because some idiot cut off his own foot on my watch and I promised to be off in time to see my son in his Halloween costume. I can't help you." She wished she could but Tucker had been such a jerk about her hours lately.

"Is Tuck old enough to understand what Halloween is?" Meredith asked with a confused look.

Bailey snorted. "No," she denied. "But his daddy is and he's the one I promised."

Meredith nodded with a frown. Promises were important. Still maybe there was a way to get them both what they wanted.

"Trick or Treat?" The boy leaned against the counter and stared at Bailey hopefully. It hadn't looked like getting Dr. Bailey's help was quite as easy as Meredith had thought it would be.

Bailey stared at him, then at Meredith and then back to Ryan. "He's trick or treating for ears?" She asked in astonishment. Part of her found that horrifying and another part thought it was adorable. And manipulative but adorable.

They both nodded back at her with charming smiles and pleading eyes. "Trick or treat?" The kid insisted again.

Bailey held up a hand to make him stop and glared at them both. "I'm in," she announced a moment later.

Meredith grinned. "Think you could help a little more?" Bailey glared at her. "Can you get us a couple surgical nurses? They like you."

Bailey glared some more, sighed and finally nodded. "Fine. Now get out of here," she ordered both of them. "I have work to do." She waited until they were almost to the door. "And Grey," she waited for the other woman to turn around. "Ten extra hours in the clinic next week." Meredith's shoulders slumped but she nodded. "Both of you." Bailey grinned at Meredith's frown.

"I'll tell him," Meredith finally relented and disappeared out the door.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"What did she mean?" Ryan asked her when they were alone on the elevator.

"Hmm?" Meredith hummed.

"Ten extra hours? And both of you?"

Meredith sighed. "She meant ten hours above what I'm normally scheduled in the clinic for. And both of us was me and Mark. We kinda come as a package deal anyway."

Ryan nodded. "Most married people do," he commented. "I have to go meet my mom for lunch."

Meredith nodded. "I have to go meet Cristina anyway. Mark's in surgery."

Ryan grinned. "See you after lunch, Dr. Meredith."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

Cristina leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms over her head. "We could scatter her from the roof," she suggested as though they hadn't just spent the last ten minutes silently stuffing their faces and was only continuing a conversation.

"She's scared of heights," Meredith responded without even a blink at the randomness of the sudden suggestion.

Cristina rolled her eyes. "It's her ashes, Mer," she poked at the baggie on the table between them. "They're not acrophobic."

Meredith pulled the baggie a little closer and glared at Cristina. "How do you know?" She asked petulantly. "Asked them lately?"

Cristina let out an amused huff of air.

"Listen," Meredith said suddenly. "I don't have time to track Alex down while I'm trick or treating with Ryan for ear so I need a favor."

Cristina forked a melon off of the scant pickings left on her plate. "Go on," she said warily before she nibbled at the end.

"So Bailey promised—" she broke off abruptly as Izzy and George slid trays onto the table and plopped down across from them.

The four of them stared silently at each other for long minutes. "Just ask," Izzy finally broke.

Meredith sighed. "So…" she started and then shook her head at herself. "No. I don't want to know. I already know too much." She pushed her chair away from the table and grabbed her coffee and the sandwich she'd bought for Mark. "You know how I feel already." She pushed the chair back in after she'd risen. "I have an earless boy waiting for me." She turned and left the other three.

Izzy glared at her back, huffed and turned to Cristina. "Nice to know that our friends have our backs," she commented sarcastically.

Cristina snorted and grabbed her own coffee. She was going to walk away from the pair but she just couldn't leave that one alone. "Because you're so good at watching out for your so-called friends," she said and decided to leave it at that. If Barbie couldn't work it out on her own then that was on the blond.

Izzy glared after her as well and then turned to George. "Some friends, right?"

George shrugged and winced a bit. He and Meredith had already had this conversation once. He knew how she felt about adultery. Things were going to be tense for a while but they'd smooth out eventually.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"You know every time I think this place can't get any crazier—" He said as he nearly bowled her over in the hallway again.

"Don't say it," she hissed at him. "Seriously Derek, that's just asking for trouble."

Derek grinned and nodded. "Hey kid," he told the boy trailing at Meredith's side. "I hear you're trick or treating."

Ryan nodded. "Nearly done," he said with a proud grin. "Dr. Meredith's really good at this."

"I don't doubt it," Derek laughed. "Still it's not the craziest or strangest thing happening around here."

Meredith leaned against the wall and blinked at him. "You mean the guy that cut off his own foot?"

"Or every one of the single female doctors and nurses making eyes at you?" Ryan put in.

"Or that Callie announced that Izzy is sleeping with George in the resident's lounge?" Meredith continued.

Derek frowned. "I hadn't heard about that last one yet," he told them.

"That's because your main source of information is my sister," Meredith pointed out. "And she wasn't there."

"Lexie isn't my main source," Derek denied. "Or even one of them actually. Well, not really."

Meredith giggled. "Sure. Whatever you say."

"She isn't," Derek insisted. "Lexie tells me some things but not much because she's an intern and she's busy with a case today anyway."

Meredith nodded. "I know. The heart guy. She texted me."

"Anyway," Derek said. "The strange thing I'm referring to is that Alex is seemingly invisible and you have a mission you need accomplished."

Meredith grinned. "You volunteering?" Derek nodded. "Sure you're not too busy? It's kinda complicated."

"I'm not busy," he told her. "And I like helping out. Besides your complications are usually pretty interesting."

Meredith rolled her eyes and then told him what she needed.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

_Did you clue Derek in to my revenge?—Mark_

_Not me.—Mer_

_Liar.—Mark_

_Seriously. It was the kid.—Mer_

_Right. Find Alex yet?—Mark_

_No. Seriously! I'm really starting to think he's gone invisible. Can't be any weirder than some of the other stuff going on around here today.—Mer_

_And I heard that Ava was back.—Mark_

_Seriously? In that case if I had the time I'd check the on call rooms but I haven't the time and we only need one more person for Ryan. Get the papers ready for his mom would you?—Mer_

_Sure thing, Angel.—Mark_

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

_You seriously brought your mom's ashes to work?—Lexie_

_Yes. She was haunting me. Gotta scrub in now.—Mer_

_Okay. Still…seriously?—Lexie_

_Yes. Go away.—Mer_

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"You did good, Angel," Mark wrapped his arms around her waist and nestled a kiss behind her ear. "Really good."

Meredith leaned back into his warmth for a moment before reaching for the faucets. "Yeah. I surprised myself, you know. I wasn't sure I'd manage it."

Mark made an inquiring noise in the back of his throat as he turned on the other faucets and started scrubbing for surgery.

Meredith grinned, her green eyes bright with pleasure. "That was my first time trick or treating," she told him blithely.

"Seriously?" Mark croaked and then winced as he thought about it.

"Of course," Meredith said easily, not noticing his sudden stiffness. "Mom never made it home in time to take me nor could she get it together enough to make me a costume. And anyway she said it was rude to knock on people's doors and beg for food." She slanted a glance over at him. Alerted by something in his suddenly still and silent form. "What?" She asked concerned.

Mark shook himself and reached for a towel. "Just…the apple fell far from the tree, Angel," he leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead. Then he walked out the door and into the O.R.

She stared after him, water dripping into the sink from her wet hands. He'd said that with such…nonchalance. As though it was a fact that everyone knew already. Damn! She thought. How did I not notice that? I'm not her. I'll never be her. Because of him.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"I just saw a heart transplant," Lexie announced randomly as she met Meredith at a turn in the O.R. corridor.

Meredith's lips twitched. She could do random. She was a master at it. "I just helped build a little boy some ears."

Lexie grinned. "That's cool," she commented as they both headed down the corridor. "I dug up my mom's cat," she said suddenly a few steps later.

Meredith stopped walking as the words sunk in and turned to look at her sister with a confused expression. "What?" Maybe Lexie was better at the randomness than she was.

Lexie stopped too and turned to face her sister although she stared off down the hall searching for the words for a long moment. Then she licked her lips and just started talking. Meredith would understand. She usually did. "My mom didn't leave any instructions…" It shouldn't be this hard. Not with Meredith. Meredith had loved her mother too. "'Cuz it was so unexpected." Meredith nodded encouragement knowing that Lexie had something important to tell her. "So we had to figure out on our own what she would have wanted. And my mom loved that cat." A sheen of tears filled her eyes but she fought them back with a deep breath and continued. "So…I dug her up," she saw Meredith's eyes widen. "The cat—not my mom, jeez. Anyway, I dug the cat up from her little grave in the backyard. Then I snuck into the cemetery in the middle of the night and reburied her right beside my mom." Lexie drew in another breath. "And it was…creepy and morbid, carrying around a dead and decaying cat in the cemetery in the middle of the night but," she took another breath and met Meredith's sympathetic green eyes. "It made my mom really happy. Or at least I like to think it did."

Meredith held her eyes for a long moment and then smiled. "Thanks," she said softly.

Lexie shot her a relieved smile. "You're welcome."

The sisters split off and headed back to their jobs.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Dr. Bailey!" The voice had the woman stopping in her tracks as she spun to face the intern calling to her. What the Hell? And what was his damn name?

"What?" She shot at him irritably and fingered the phone in her pocket. Tucker was going to be pissed.

He stopped and pulled in a deep breath. "Dr. Shepherd told me to find you and send you to the O.R. waiting room."

"Pardon?" She glared at him. "Why's he want me there?"

He shook his head. "He didn't tell me. Just said that you needed to go there." The man took a step back at her fierce look. "Seriously."

Bailey nodded without letting her glare lessen and turned towards the waiting room. Tucker wasn't going to be any angrier in five minutes.

"Hey," Tucker's voice greeted as she entered the room. "I almost told Shepherd to shove it. But the man saved my life so I figured…"

Bailey's hands covered her mouth and tears sheened her eyes. "Thank you," she breathed out after she'd swallowed back a happy sob. "Oh Tucker."

Tucker smiled a bit and handed their clown son over to his wife. "This doesn't mean I'm not pissed off and it doesn't mean that you don't have to make it up to me but…it's his first Halloween."

Bailey cradled her son to her chest and nodded. "I'm sorry."

Tucker shook his head. "You always are," he sighed. "We can't stay for long. Tuck needs to go to bed."

Bailey nodded, accepting that. She knew this didn't fix anything but…maybe it was a step in the right direction. Maybe.

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

"Hey," Meredith said quietly as she closed Mark's office door.

"How's the kid?" Mark asked and reached out for her.

"He's okay," Meredith let him pull her onto his lap. "Mark?"

Mark smoothed a hand over her hair. "Hmm?"

Meredith pulled back a little and looked up at him. "I know how to put Mom to rest," she told him in a soft voice.

Mark's eyes opened slowly and he looked down into her upturned face. "Okay?" He wasn't sure what she wanted him to say and there was something in her expression that said she was going to ask something she thought he wouldn't like.

Meredith placed one hand along his jaw. "I know what to do and how to do it…but I need you to let me do this alone."

Mark immediately frowned and she could feel the tenseness in his frame. "Angel…" he started in a dark voice.

She moved her hand to cover his lips. "Please?" Just one word.

Mark stared at her for a moment longer and then groaned. "Fine," he growled through her fingers. "Fine."

Meredith grinned at him. "Thank you." She removed her hand and placed her lips against his. "I'll be back in twenty. Half an hour at most."

He blinked at her, suddenly confused. He'd thought Boston or something. "Here?" He asked just to be sure.

Meredith nodded and pushed herself up. "Yeah. Wait for me?"

Mark nodded easily. "Always."

**MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG**

It was the light in what was supposed to be an unoccupied scrub room that drew him in. He'd expected something else. A couple making out. Interns hiding to do paperwork. Just something else. He wasn't expecting to find Meredith holding her mother's ashes under the water and watching them slowly swirl down the drain.

"Sloan?" He asked.

"Chief," she responded in a strong if quiet voice without looking up.

"This is a sterile environment—" He wasn't sure where he was going with his comment. Somehow it wasn't surprising that Meredith believed her mother would be at peace here.

"It's my mother sir," Meredith said and scooped more ashes from the baggie. "I think she wants to be here. I think she'd be happy here."

Webber found that he had no words to argue against that. Ellis had only ever been happy in surgery. So he softly walked over to stand beside her and scooped up his own handful of the ashes that used to be the woman he'd loved once upon a time. He stared down at the ashes in both of their hands. "Should we say a prayer?" He asked quietly.

Meredith blinked at him. "She didn't believe in anything," she told him, confused and unsure suddenly.

But we do, he thought but didn't say. "Ashes to ashes," he said allowed as the water came on and Ellis slowly left them alone in the scrub room. "Dust to dust."


End file.
